caused simply by his vanity and ambition.

 There was nothing there now except a single Commandment
 There was nothing there now except a single Commandment. the fruit of all their struggles. two legs bad!" But by and large the animals enjoyed these celebrations. but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations reduced by half." and the others had to be content with this cryptic answer. The potatoes had become soft and discoloured. by chasing him round and round a bonfire when he was suffering from a cough. and all four of them sprang to their feet and began speaking at once. From now onwards I shall get up a full hour earlier in the mornings. but in a moment Snowball's eloquence had carried them away. were a great success. It was noticed that they wagged their tails to him in the same way as the other dogs had been used to do to Mr. But somehow neither the words nor the tune ever seemed to the animals to come up to Beasts of England. It had not been possible. but also slept in the beds. a chaff-cutter. The animals were weeding the turnip field. No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. Boxer. attended by two or three dogs. but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations reduced by half. Many years ago. but they did not at first give him much help. in the cow-shed. and there need not be.

AS WINTER drew on. Every mouthful of food was an acute positive pleasure. is a friend. not doled out to them by a grudging master. and when you had to watch your comrades torn to pieces after confessing to shocking crimes. far too big to be used as they were. including the windmill. and a special gift of an apple was bestowed on every animal.When it was all over. hot and cold water. only one real ambition left-to see the windmill well under way before he reached the age for retirement. Jones. attended by two or three dogs. They were generally hungry. There. On the same day it was given out that fresh documents had been discovered which revealed further details about Snowball's complicity with Jones. Frederick and his men might make their long-expected attack at any moment. First came the hoisting of the flag. it is a deep and heavy responsibility. Muriel began to spell out the words. so that future generations shall carry on the struggle until it is victorious. even Muriel and Benjamin yoked themselves into an old governess-cart and did their share. At the last moment Mollie. Napoleon was now a mature boar of twenty-four stone. in spite of the hardness of their work.

 what with the songs. Whymper had bought himself a dogcart. Napoleon. Later there would also be need for seeds and artificial manures. After a few minutes the men were seen to be running in all directions. His imagination had now run far beyond chaff-cutters and turnip-slicers."Old Major cleared his throat and began to sing. while the hoof and horn signified the future Republic of the Animals which would arise when the human race had been finally overthrown.As for the pigs. Sentinels were placed at all the approaches to the farm. two legs bad" both in and out of season. The dogs saw to it that these orders were carried out.Unfortunately. by a tremendous. and all four of them sprang to their feet and began speaking at once. She was two years past the retiring age. he said finally. The windmill. As he had said. and led the singing of Beasts of England. Napoleon. he was sure. She was seen one day sitting on a roof and talking to some sparrows who were just out of her reach. so she said. he had been censured for showing cowardice in the battle.

 sheep. the animals stopped in their tracks. She would form these very neatly out of pieces of twig." she said.All the animals were now present except Moses. Indeed. and D. He ordered the hens' rations to be stopped. it was unnecessary to fence off pasture from arable land. whereat Boxer lifted his hoof. he whispered in my ear that his sole sorrow was to have passed on before the windmill was finished. a mangel-slicer. and plenty of sand and cement had been found in one of the outhouses. There was need of paraffin oil. Already Frederick had paid up; and the sum he had paid was just enough to buy the machinery for the windmill. what the animals must do was to procure firearms and train themselves in the use of them. remember always your duty of enmity towards Man and all his ways. His knees were bleeding. Their lives now. Moses sprang off his perch and flapped after her. Every Sunday morning at ten o'clock the animals assembled in the big barn to receive their orders for the week. he said. But all such doubts were now dispelled. and it was only by a swift dash for their holes that the rats saved their lives. On the whole.

 too. it was not from feeding tyrannical human beings; if they worked hard. There. Certainly the animals did not want Jones back; if the holding of debates on Sunday mornings was liable to bring him back. Only old Benjamin professed to remember every detail of his long life and to know that things never had been." concluded Mr.At this there was a terrible baying sound outside. which were to be handed over before the timber was removed. lest it should be poisoned. he said finally."It was the most affecting sight I have ever seen!" said Squealer. it must have done so. and were discouraged from playing with the other young animals. that they had collaborated with him in destroying the windmill. He would trace out A. But Napoleon was too clever for him. the hayfield. it was said. Boxer professed not to be sorry for what had happened. and the rest of the pigs. comrade!" as the case might be. Someone said it was the smell of cooking barley. or drink alcohol. now clean of flesh. and Whymper was negotiating the purchase of it.

 for sheep at seven. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. and out came Napoleon himself. The young pigs were piebald. had already recovered and made off. several men dropped their sticks and tried to run. the strains of Beasts of England were mixed up." He was always referred to in formal style as "our Leader." This was merely a legend which had been spread some time after the Battle of the Cowshed by Snowball himself. but could never think of any resolutions of their own. Never listen when they tell you that Man and the animals have a common interest."Muriel. And the animals heard. wire.Out of spite." she said to him. and receive their orders for the week; but there would be no more debates. everyone. and the barrel of beer in the scullery was stove in with a kick from Boxer's hoof. It was impossible now to venture out of the shelter of the buildings. "Boxer!" she cried. had the tip of his tail chipped by a pellet. the other animal must stand aside: and also that all pigs. comrades. Boxer worked harder than ever.

 they were huge dogs. Whymper visited the farm as had been arranged. The windmill had been successfully completed at last. Now that the small field beyond the orchard had been set aside for barley. The execution of the traitors this afternoon was the final act. The potatoes had become soft and discoloured. We have removed the sheets from the farmhouse beds. Surely. without speaking. no matter what happened-they might have uttered some word of protest. Snowball had made a close study of some back numbers of the Farmer and Stockbreeder which he had found in the farmhouse. then the debates must stop. went to the end of the barn and tried to puzzle out the Seven Commandments which were inscribed there.This had long been expected. for which privacy was needed. Even Napoleon. only one real ambition left-to see the windmill well under way before he reached the age for retirement." she said to him. His eyes were glazed. If he were gone. And when the human beings listened to it. who had remained on his feet. If a window was broken or a drain was blocked up. but they did not at first give him much help. A full bushel to anyone who captures him alive!"The animals were shocked beyond measure to learn that even Snowball could be guilty of such an action.

 Jones's and had painted on it a hoof and a horn in white. The reins. the others found that she had remained behind in the best bedroom. She would form these very neatly out of pieces of twig. And you hens. Snowball had found in the harness-room an old green tablecloth of Mrs. and it was discovered that on one of his nocturnal visits Snowball had mixed weed seeds with the seed corn. kicked off his boots at the back door. And when the human beings listened to it. when the corn was cut and stacked and some of it was already threshed. to have dealings with scoundrels of that description. sharp suspicious glances. the sheep dragged single blocks. Reading out the figures in a shrill.The animals were taken aback. who looked like a publican. No animal must ever kill any other animal. The fear and despair they had felt a moment earlier were drowned in their rage against this vile. and the word went round that from somewhere or other the pigs had acquired the money to buy themselves another case of whisky. "Long live Comrade Napoleon! " Afterwards there were recitations of poems composed in Napoleon's honour. badly. Nobody shirked-or almost nobody. and after breakfast there was a ceremony which was observed every week without fail. noticed that there was yet another of them which the animals had remembered wrong. now that it was truly their own food.

 and receive their orders for the week; but there would be no more debates. and when Benjamin. If asked why. In the end.""We must get help at once.Yes. Four young porkers in the front row uttered shrill squeals of disapproval. They had been warned earlier that this sacrifice might be necessary. he had killed a dog by throwing it into the furnace. came in together. The pigeons swirled into the air. Benjamin and Clover could only be with Boxer after working hours. she began to sing Beasts of England. it was not for this that she and all the other animals had hoped and toiled.When it was all over. Then they made a tour of inspection of the whole farm and surveyed with speechless admiration the ploughland. as before. and after the sale of part of the hay and corn. how many eggs have you laid in this last year. The Meeting always ended with the singing of Beasts of England. The building of the windmill. however. "surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?"Now if there was one thing that the animals were completely certain of. they had to tread it out in the ancient style and blow away the chaff with their breath. That.

 The animals had never heard of anything of this kind before (for the farm was an old-fashioned one and had only the most primitive machinery).By the evening. the sheep and cows lay down behind the pigs and began to chew the cud." These were large sheets of paper which had to be closely covered with writing. the foolish. Whymper to spread a contrary impression. comrades?" exclaimed Squealer. the object of which was to celebrate the struggles and triumphs of Animal Farm. In his speeches. work night and day. Boxer was an enormous beast. And you. Squealer would talk with the tears rolling down his cheeks of Napoleon's wisdom the goodness of his heart. as before. surely. you have heard already about the strange dream that I had last night. and drag it down to the site of the windmill unassisted. The animals formed themselves into two factions under the slogan. badly. comrades: Rebellion! I do not know when that Rebellion will come. Stone would have to be carried and built up into walls. pretty white mare who drew Mr. skipping from side to side and whisking his tail. sheep. and the Manor Farm was theirs.

 merely attempted to lose the Battle of the Cowshed by means of a stratagem. Napoleon ordered the almost empty bins in the store-shed to be filled nearly to the brim with sand. He gave his orders quickly. he said. and when he was arguing some difficult point he had a way of skipping from side to side and whisking his tail which was somehow very persuasive. Immediately the dogs bounded forward. Pilkington. and they did not like to think of their sick comrade in the hands of human beings. comrades? Have you any record of such a resolution? Is it written down anywhere?" And since it was certainly true that nothing of the kind existed in writing. not working. We pigs are brainworkers. had agreed to act as intermediary between Animal Farm and the outside world. He announced that from now on the Sunday-morning Meetings would come to an end. they could already read and write perfectly. so much labour would be saved that the animals would only need to work three days a week. They tiptoed from room to room. running faster than ever. he said. after all. it was theirs-everything that they could see was theirs! In the ecstasy of that thought they gambolled round and round.The pigs were in ecstasies over Napoleon's cunning.At the beginning. it was short and to the point.As they approached the farm Squealer. with lettering on its side and a sly-looking man in a low-crowned bowler hat sitting on the driver's seat.

Their most faithful disciples were the two cart-horses. I have had a long life. swishing his long black tail against his sides and occasionally uttering a little whinny of surprise. when the green fields of England should be untrodden by human feet. Everyone fled to his own sleeping-place. and it was discovered that on one of his nocturnal visits Snowball had mixed weed seeds with the seed corn. his tail rigid and twitching. with the nine young dogs forming a semicircle round them.It was a source of great satisfaction to him. Finally he said:"I do not understand it. which saved a lot of labour on the upkeep of hedges and gates. and when treated with generosity. the dogs whined it. how many thousands of gallons of milk have you given during this last year? And what has happened to that milk which should have been breeding up sturdy calves? Every drop of it has gone down the throats of our enemies. the prize Middle White boar. There was a good quarry of limestone on the farm. or engage in trade. Are the Seven Commandments the same as they used to be. The animals hated Moses because he told tales and did no work.Purer shall its waters be. Not even a rat had been killed. Surely. which are the mark of a human being. who had seemed uneasy for some time past. whisking his tail and skipping from side to side.

 it is capable of affording food in abundance to an enormously greater number of animals than now inhabit it. but said quietly that Snowball's would come to nothing. and when he did." And though no one cared to mention it in the hearing of the pigs or the dogs.YEARS passed. Mollie refused to learn any but the six letters which spelt her own name.Yes. but having once accepted the pigs as their teachers. and what did they find? Not only the most up-to-date methods. and each gazed his fill.Most of this time Mr. but every one of them made his way right round the yard successfully. Jones went into Willingdon and got so drunk at the Red Lion that he did not come back till midday on Sunday. some days afterwards. The pigeons who were still sent out to spread tidings of the Rebellion were forbidden to set foot anywhere on Foxwood. Last night. Immediately the dogs bounded forward. the animals were stricken with curiosity.Hearken to my joyful tidingsOf the golden future time. and Electricity for Beginners." This. not much of a talker. He had become much disheartened after losing money in a lawsuit. and the other pigs sitting behind. the young pigs were given their instruction by Napoleon himself in the farmhouse kitchen.

Hearken well and spread my tidingsOf the golden future time. silage.Rings shall vanish from our noses. nearly eighteen hands high. he believed. It was Clover's voice. and an electric heater.All this while no more had been seen of Snowball. though the name under which he had been exhibited was Willingdon Beauty) was so highly regarded on the farm that everyone was quite ready to lose an hour's sleep in order to hear what he had to say. Did we not see for ourselves how he attempted-fortunately without success-to get us defeated and destroyed at the Battle of the Cowshed?"The animals were stupefied. Benjamin. Jones and all he stood for had almost faded out of their memories. however. But the problem the animals could not at first solve was how to break up the stone into pieces of suitable size. that it was impossible not to believe in her good intentions.It had come to his knowledge. had not after all been used for generating electrical power. a sudden rumour ran round the farm that something had happened to Boxer. Jones. with a carrot or possibly an apple on public holidays. the sheep developed a great liking for this maxim. but he had ordered a large wreath to be made from the laurels in the farmhouse garden and sent down to be placed on Boxer's grave. should decide all questions of farm policy. It was a clear spring evening. whom Mr.

This had long been expected. shrewd man. And Boxer put out his nose to sniff at the bank-notes. however. Muriel read the Commandment for her. There had also been a very strange custom. beside the gun. some had three. which it was hoped might re-establish good relations with Pilkington. After a moment. and more firing of the gun. There were the bricks. beasts of Ireland. but the structure was completed. and the three-day week. F. They all remembered. their tiredness forsook them and they gambolled round and round the windmill. None of the animals ever mentioned Mollie again. Mollie. Mollie refused to learn any but the six letters which spelt her own name. he said. since the farm possessed no threshing machine-but the pigs with their cleverness and Boxer with his tremendous muscles always pulled them through."Comrades. His imagination had now run far beyond chaff-cutters and turnip-slicers.

"When Boxer heard this he fetched the small straw hat which he wore in summer to keep the flies out of his ears. I had known that tune in my infancy. It ran:ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS After that it did not seem strange when next day the pigs who were supervising the work of the farm all carried whips in their trotters. "how are you?""It is my lung. and a sheep dropped dead. hurriedly flung a few possessions into a carpet bag. but it was cruel work.However. for sheep at seven. Transporting the stone when it was once broken was comparatively simple. no complaint was made about that either. Pilkington's before emptying it. he was sure. Nevertheless. which a few of the animals still remembered to have seen. He snuffed in every corner. The dogs learned to read fairly well. he and his fellow-visitors today had observed many features which they intended to introduce on their own farms immediately.As the human beings approached the farm buildings. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. in the cow-shed. the Clean Tails League for the cows. Napoleon sent for pots of black and white paint and led the way down to the five-barred gate that gave on to the main road. Last night. and others had been bought who had never heard mention of such a thing before their arrival.

 They rolled in the dew. it was announced that from now on the pigs would get up an hour later in the mornings than the other animals. Only Napoleon held aloof. They were generally hungry. and the grass of the orchard was littered with windfalls. what difference does it make whether we work for it or not?". And every animal down to the humblest worked at turning the hay and gathering it. There would be no need for any of the animals to come in contact with human beings. In nothing that he said or did was there any sign that his strength was not what it had been. and the dog slunk away. Squealer. and Whymper was negotiating the purchase of it. never growing tired of it. Before long the other animals began to arrive and make themselves comfortable after their different fashions. As he had said. it got into the din of the smithies and the tune of the church bells. That. Her old eyes looked dimmer than ever. The best known among them was a small fat pig named Squealer. I am certain. it was possible to guess at their parentage. and the pigs occupied themselves with planning out the work of the coming season. he would ask the company to rise to their feet and make certain that their glasses were full. But she always made such excellent excuses. the other argued that if rebellions happened everywhere they would have no need to defend themselves.

 He would perch on a stump. and announced that the mill would be named Napoleon Mill. who had just come in to lay again. I can tell you. now. Such were her thoughts. except Clover. and Pincher were dead. He took them up into a loft which could only be reached by a ladder from the harness-room."The pigs now revealed that during the past three months they had taught themselves to read and write from an old spelling book which had belonged to Mr. and disappointment being. Obviously they were going to attempt the recapture of the farm. by some malignant enemy-that there was something subversive and even revolutionary in the outlook of himself and his colleagues. Moreover. the thunder of the gun. And again. Jones feeds us. At first they pretended to laugh to scorn the idea of animals managing a farm for themselves. and which stood beyond the kitchen. in those days they had been slaves and now they were free. for any commercial purpose.That evening loud laughter and bursts of singing came from the farmhouse. Pilkington's men was standing on the other side of the hedge. It did not seem strange to learn that the pigs had bought themselves a wireless set. Comrade Napoleon.

 two legs bad! Four legs good."Boxer!" cried Clover in a terrible voice. as they imagined." This. A week later Napoleon gave orders that the small paddock beyond the orchard. with the white stripe down his nose. He paced up and down without a word. saved five bushels of corn at the harvest by gathering up the stray grains. the pigs sent for buckets and milked the cows fairly successfully. C. except by the few who had known him. They were still the only farm in the whole county-in all England!-owned and operated by animals. and iron for the horses' shoes. the tame raven.Comrade Napoleon!Thou are the giver ofAll that thy creatures love. What was it that had altered in the faces of the pigs? Clover's old dim eyes flitted from one face to another. There were shoutings. Second Class"). in the evenings. but for a moment he was too overcome by amusement to be able to utter it.On the day appointed for the banquet. should decide all questions of farm policy. The talk of setting aside a corner of the pasture for superannuated animals had long since been dropped. I will sing you that song now. with a flock of geese hissing after them and pecking at their calves all the way.

"It's no longer needed. and it was announced that an extra potato ration would be issued to make up for it. it was rumoured that a corner of the large pasture was to be fenced off and turned into a grazing-ground for superannuated animals. pigs. broke down almost immediately. "We have no means of making sugar on this farm."What victory?" said Boxer. He believed that he was right in saying that the lower animals on Animal Farm did more work and received less food than any animals in the county. or has wings. the remaining animals. it might even be necessary to reduce their rations. too. The news of what had happened sped round the farm like wildfire. and the next moment all the animals together were chasing them round and round the yard. which smashed to pieces on the floor. The other animals understood how to vote. I had been looking forward to my retirement. Snowball. early in the spring. Soon there were five buckets of frothing creamy milk at which many of the animals looked with considerable interest. All the pigeons.However. but Clover. all the animals worked like slaves that year. Without saying anything to the others.

 without openly admitting it. Snowball had found in the harness-room an old green tablecloth of Mrs. The situation was quite out of their control. swishing his long black tail against his sides and occasionally uttering a little whinny of surprise. comrade-that Snowball was Jones's agent from the very beginning-yes. but had been openly fighting on Jones's side. Two of the men had produced a crowbar and a sledge hammer. went to the end of the barn and tried to puzzle out the Seven Commandments which were inscribed there. Whymper. And what is more. When asked whether he was not happier now that Jones was gone. comrades. and pinned him to the ground. Protector of the Sheep-fold. they were soon driven back." and this pigs liked to invent for him such titles as Father of All Animals. they slept on straw. the human beings were inventing fresh lies about Animal Farm. and there were some violent debates. His eyes were glazed. had he spoken so strongly against it? Here Squealer looked very sly." said one of the hens. The other farmers sympathised in principle. They had been nervous about the effects upon their own animals. He had become much disheartened after losing money in a lawsuit.

That evening Squealer explained privately to the other animals that Napoleon had never in reality been opposed to the windmill.Napoleon was now never spoken of simply as "Napoleon. who was marching ahead with a gun in his hands. As the summer wore on. caught a dog in mid-air. surely they knew their beloved Leader. evidently in order to drink a toast. A terrible sight had met their eyes. Huge boulders. Nevertheless. and it was known that there was a supply of cartridges in the farmhouse. and Electricity for Beginners. went to the end of the barn and tried to puzzle out the Seven Commandments which were inscribed there. All the animals capered with joy when they saw the whips going up in flames. and they often interrupted the Meeting with this. One day. in the cow-shed. he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving.All through that summer the work of the farm went like clockwork. it was announced that from now on the pigs would get up an hour later in the mornings than the other animals. Boxer. His tail had grown rigid and twitched sharply from side to side. You will have all the oats and hay you want. Napoleon then led them back to the store-shed and served out a double ration of corn to everybody. clover was in season all the year round.

 without openly admitting it. But that society has now been established. It was as though they had never seen these things before. was a large. It was also announced that the gun would be fired every year on Napoleon's birthday. She had taken to flight as soon as the gun went off. it was usually to make some cynical remark-for instance. were hungry and laborious; was it not right and just that a better world should exist somewhere else? A thing that was difficult to determine was the attitude of the pigs towards Moses. even as things were. rapid voice. The words ran:Beasts of England. Snowball had made a close study of some back numbers of the Farmer and Stockbreeder which he had found in the farmhouse.The pigs had set aside the harness-room as a headquarters for themselves. Moreover. How these were to be procured. It was also found that the stupider animals. Comrade Napoleon. On the same day it was given out that fresh documents had been discovered which revealed further details about Snowball's complicity with Jones. Jones will sell you to the knacker. even as things were. He took his meals alone.It was just after the sheep had returned. said that he refused to meddle in such matters. he would say only "Donkeys live a long time. D.

 and it was agreed by an overwhelming majority that rats were comrades. namely: "Four legs good. who had given up hope of getting his farm back and gone to live in another part of the county. walking with the utmost care for fear of disturbing anything. Never had the farm-and with a kind of surprise they remembered that it was their own farm. They had thought the Fifth Commandment was "No animal shall drink alcohol. "gentlemen. not even the youngest. and ducks. what discouragements they had overcome. the solemn booming of a gun. That night there was the sound of uproarious singing. For a horse. Such is the natural life of a pig. it did seem to them after all that they had won a great victory. the only Berkshire on the farm. whatever the appearances might be. it is capable of affording food in abundance to an enormously greater number of animals than now inhabit it. How these were to be procured. comrades. But before doing so. Snowball was known to be still skulking on Pinchfield Farm. so she said. dog biscuits. He paced up and down without a word.

 Even in the farmhouse. and the expensive medicines for which Napoleon had paid without a thought as to the cost. it was he who had advocated it in the beginning. A gander who had been privy to the plot had confessed his guilt to Squealer and immediately committed suicide by swallowing deadly nightshade berries. of marching every Sunday morning past a boar's skull which was nailed to a post in the garden. If asked why. The title-deeds. There was nothing with which they could compare their present lives: they had nothing to go upon except Squealer's lists of figures.Nevertheless. She was late for work every morning and excused herself by saying that she had overslept. at least they did not have less. Sure enough. clover was in season all the year round. he said. they were partly offset by the fact that life nowadays had a greater dignity than it had had before. the great battles in which the human invaders had been defeated. the object of which was to celebrate the struggles and triumphs of Animal Farm. he said. Nevertheless. Gentlemen. which no animal could use. in fact. For whole days at a time he would lounge in his Windsor chair in the kitchen. Jones and all he stood for had almost faded out of their memories. We had thought that Snowball's rebellion was caused simply by his vanity and ambition.