been stolen from among Napoleon's papers.

 since that was where the ambush had been sprung
 since that was where the ambush had been sprung. and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished for ever. speaking very slowly and firmly.But they had not gone twenty yards when they stopped short. then the dogs were gaining on him again. and brought in a handsome money profit. The only good human being is a dead one. carpentering. which were in his own possession. Much of this work was of a kind that the other animals were too ignorant to understand. It consisted of a brass medal (they were really some old horse-brasses which had been found in the harness-room). they drank from the pool. their trotters being well adapted to this task. as Squealer was never tired of explaining. Every Sunday morning at ten o'clock the animals assembled in the big barn to receive their orders for the week. Yes.Meanwhile the timber was being carted away at high speed. It now appeared that Snowball had not."But at this moment the three cows.

 feeling this to be in some way a substitute for the words she was unable to find. but they saw clearly that it was their duty to prepare for it. and fresh precautions for Napoleon's safety were taken."I do not believe that Snowball was a traitor at the beginning. drinking. On every kind of pretext she would run away from work and go to the drinking pool. iron discipline! That is the watchword for today. and more firing of the gun. Pilkington of Foxwood or with Mr. Many years ago. and heard the gun firing again-seven times it was fired in all-and heard the speech that Napoleon made. could be done with a thoroughness impossible to human beings. and to have seen the everlasting fields of clover and the linseed cake and lump sugar growing on the hedges. of course."Ribbons. with which the meetings always ended.' immediately afterwards?""That was our mistake. You will have all the oats and hay you want." he said.

 the horses whinnied it. or even suggested. No one noticed the wondering faces of the animals that gazed in at the window.Sometimes the work was hard; the implements had been designed for human beings and not for animals. Its owner.Napoleon himself appeared at the meeting on the following Sunday morning and pronounced a short oration in Boxer's honour. One of them. Napoleon himself was not seen in public as often as once in a fortnight. Napoleon. and usually hungry as well. but they accepted his explanation. A few animals still felt faintly doubtful. said Squealer. they had begun singing it for themselves. Jones will sell you to the knacker. they were far better off than they had been in the days of Jones." and "memoranda. endless work in the supervision and organisation of the farm. Then they saw what Clover had seen.

 then stood for a little while contemplating them out of the corner of his eye; then suddenly he lifted his leg. Back in the yard Boxer was pawing with his hoof at the stable-lad who lay face down in the mud. and heard the gun firing again-seven times it was fired in all-and heard the speech that Napoleon made. emphasising the need for all animals to be ready to die for Animal Farm if need be. "Snowball fought bravely at the Battle of the Cowshed. You do not appreciate. and more firing of the gun. Clover took her aside. who had not yet painted the old name out. "You do not imagine. The enemy was in occupation of this very ground that we stand upon."The birds did not understand Snowball's long words. One of them.It had come to his knowledge. But what was it that seemed to be melting and changing? Then. Already Frederick had paid up; and the sum he had paid was just enough to buy the machinery for the windmill. Frederick should be boiled alive. how excellent this water tastes!" The general feeling on the farm was well expressed in a poem entitled Comrade Napoleon. and on the next day it was learned that he had instructed Whymper to purchase in Willingdon some booklets on brewing and distilling.

 to the number of thirty-five. Napoleon's own creation. It was as though they had never seen these things before. the tune and even the words of Beasts of England were known everywhere. where the Seven Commandments were written. They were shaken and miserable. crying out at the tops of their voices."Jones used sometimes to mix some of it in our mash. was happy that the period of misunderstanding was at an end. making little nervous skips. "those ribbons that you are so devoted to are the badge of slavery. He was a sly-looking little man with side whiskers. A deputation of neighbouring farmers had been invited to make a tour of inspection. Moses sprang off his perch and flapped after her. was no better than a criminal?""He fought bravely at the Battle of the Cowshed."But at this moment the three cows. so that when evening came. too. the admirable care he had received.

Throughout the spring and summer they worked a sixty-hour week. indeed. And you. Finally he decided to be content with the first four letters. it seemed to them that some strange thing was happening. and often as they lay in the field they would all start bleating "Four legs good. no matter what happened-they might have uttered some word of protest. the rumours of an impending treacherous attack grew stronger and stronger. and he decided to make use of Mr. the machinery for the windmill. and in fact were putting on weight if anything. Electricity. especially the windmill. the quarrelling and biting and jealousy which had been normal features of life in the old days had almost disappeared. but in a different form. how he had rallied and encouraged them at every turn. the sheep were sure to silence him with a tremendous bleating of "Four legs good. Whymper heard nothing of this affair. and no more was said about the pigs sleeping in the farmhouse beds.

 They had not been milked for twenty-four hours. there was the schoolhouse for the young pigs. whatever the appearances might be. which was followed by what sounded like a violent quarrel and ended at about eleven o'clock with a tremendous crash of glass. they had developed a certain respect for the efficiency with which the animals were managing their own affairs. It was lucky that the owners of the two farms which adjoined Animal Farm were on permanently bad terms. after all. This was what came of rebelling against the laws of Nature. were slaughtered.It was vitally necessary to conceal this fact from the outside world. The pigeons swirled into the air. The reins. so it was said-at Foxwood. you do not need sugar. But doubtless it had been worse in the old days.As for the others. The potatoes had become soft and discoloured. the building of which had aroused furious jealousy in him. comrade.

 So far as he knew. bitter battle. that there was ever a ruling against beds? A bed merely means a place to sleep in. which was the signal for retreat. This. Their bodies were buried in the orchard. At about half past nine Napoleon. The windmill. were reduced again in February. a few selected animals. Hitherto the animals had had little or no contact with Whymper on his weekly visits: now. Her old eyes looked dimmer than ever. With some difficulty (for it is not easy for a pig to balance himself on a ladder) Snowball climbed up and set to work. no animal must ever tyrannise over his own kind. its climate is good. The execution of the traitors this afternoon was the final act.A FEW days later. who had been hiding behind the hedge.Napoleon was now never spoken of simply as "Napoleon.

 I have had much time for thought as I lay alone in my stall. between Animal Farm and its neighbours. This farm which he had the honour to control. and teach them the tune of Beasts of England. It was lucky that the owners of the two farms which adjoined Animal Farm were on permanently bad terms. they hurled themselves into the air in great leaps of excitement. Comrade Napoleon was dying!A cry of lamentation went up. but they were weary and bleeding. as it was warm weather. The animals chased them right down to the bottom of the field. as it turned out. and occasionally feeding Moses on crusts of bread soaked in beer. which was composed by Minimus and which ran as follows:Friend of fatherless!Fountain of happiness!Lord of the swill-bucket! Oh. It was absolutely necessary. "There is work to be done. and it was given out that they had died of coccidiosis. At such times his lips were seen to form the words. but in a different form. Jones was hurled into a pile of dung and his gun flew out of his hands.

 and both she and Benjamin urged Boxer to work less hard. was a large." he said. They were just getting their clutches ready for the spring sitting. after Mr. But doubtless it had been worse in the old days. prancing round them and stamping the earth with his small hoofs.The animals were enormously relieved to hear this. comrades: Rebellion! I do not know when that Rebellion will come. 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. now and in the past. and that they were usually working when they were not asleep. and except that "friend" was written "freind" and one of the "S's" was the wrong way round. and might have continued singing it all night if they had not been interrupted. then the horses. terrible stories were leaking out from Pinchfield about the cruelties that Frederick practised upon his animals. But at this moment the four pigeons. That night there came from the farmhouse the sound of loud singing. She would form these very neatly out of pieces of twig.

 And-I was a long way away. and the deep love he bore to all animals everywhere. Snowball was forgotten. Snowball did not deny that to build it would be a difficult business. There was no thought of rebellion or disobedience in her mind. what had happened to the faces of the pigs. "Snowball has done this thing! In sheer malignity. and sometimes when it was pushed over the edge it failed to break. there must be no alteration in our plans: they shall be carried out to the day. The other animals sitting round her took it up. It had been overlooked at the time when the house was first occupied. carrying tiny wisps of hay in their beaks. inspired by Snowball. The animals filed slowly past. Many animals had been born to whom the Rebellion was only a dim tradition. nor ever could be much better or much worse-hunger. and with a piece of chalk gripped between the knuckles of his trotter. and then reappear at meal-times. their hearts swelled with imperishable pride.

 lest it should be poisoned. I had been looking forward to my retirement. with a flock of geese hissing after them and pecking at their calves all the way. the drinking pool. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. it seemed to the animals that they did remember it. who were the brains of the farm. which was the signal for retreat. comrades. not even Frederick. but sharp enough to have realised earlier than anyone else that Animal Farm would need a broker and that the commissions would be worth having. The time had been when a few kicks from Boxer's hoofs would have smashed the van to matchwood. The animals were not certain what the word meant. except Jones. too. They were so delighted with the song that they sang it right through five times in succession. For some time nobody spoke. who in fact was only stunned. Sure enough.

 that they had collaborated with him in destroying the windmill. After the hoisting of the flag all the animals trooped into the big barn for a general assembly which was known as the Meeting. bruised and howling. a hawthorn bush being planted on her grave. They did not know which was more shocking-the treachery of the animals who had leagued themselves with Snowball. he amused himself in the evenings by making cocks fight with splinters of razor-blade tied to their spurs. but this time they did not have the easy victory that they had had in the Battle of the Cowshed. Unable at first to speak. His two slogans. were arranging to install a telephone. On Midsummer's Eve. There. At the foot of the end wall of the big barn. as Squealer was never tired of explaining. This was of the highest importance for the welfare of the farm. Then they saw what Clover had seen. his face deadly pale. "We have no means of making sugar on this farm. and he read out to her what was written on the wall.

 The importance of keeping the pigs in good health was all too obvious. These scenes of terror and slaughter were not what they had looked forward to on that night when old Major first stirred them to rebellion. His imagination had now run far beyond chaff-cutters and turnip-slicers. They had been nervous about the effects upon their own animals. Napoleon. Then it was discovered that the greater part of the potato crop had been frosted in the clamps. it was always Boxer who strained himself against the rope and brought the boulder to a stop. The windmill was in ruins. except the cat. since that was where the ambush had been sprung. Four dogs guarded his bed at night. without speaking. and he read out to her what was written on the wall. flirting her long tail and chewing at a stalk of hay.At last the day came when Snowball's plans were completed. He himself dashed straight for Jones. the drinking pool. he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving. neither pigs nor dogs produced any food by their own labour; and there were very many of them.

 surely. comrades. a solicitor living in Willingdon. but with perfect balance. perpetually involved in lawsuits and with a name for driving hard bargains. His eyes were glazed. and his eyes were full of tears. for which privacy was needed. the applause having come to an end. Again the animals seemed to remember that a resolution against this had been passed in the early days. She was seen one day sitting on a roof and talking to some sparrows who were just out of her reach. he said. He repeated a number of times. Pilkington. and a number of the pigs. They were shown all over the farm. by their human neighbours. nimble movements. with Snowball at the head of them.

 hoping to draw attention to the red ribbons it was plaited with. At the last moment Mollie.At the gate they paused. that the windmill would be a failure. Why. now clean of flesh. at a different spot every day. Boxer could not get beyond the letter D. was shown in the fact that he trusted nobody. "is an organ of propulsion and not of manipulation. A white stripe down his nose gave him a somewhat stupid appearance. cows. One Sunday morning Napoleon appeared in the barn and explained that he had never at any time contemplated selling the pile of timber to Frederick; he considered it beneath his dignity.One day in early summer Squealer ordered the sheep to follow him. their sense of honour and privilege in being members of Animal Farm. But still. with the money at his side. But Benjamin pushed her aside and in the midst of a deadly silence he read:" 'Alfred Simmonds. but would say nothing.

 I will sing you that song now. That was theirs too. Napoleon's own creation. Snowball was a more vivacious pig than Napoleon. Any animal caught singing it was given a flogging on the spot. It was announced that the battle would be called the Battle of the Windmill. Indeed. the halters. He lay down. had all been prepared. There were times when it seemed to the animals that they worked longer hours and fed no better than they had done in Jones's day. An impromptu celebration of the victory was held immediately. you do not want Jones back?"Once again this argument was unanswerable. After the harvest there was a stretch of clear dry weather. they had no more to say. Pre-eminent among the pigs were two young boars named Snowball and Napoleon. with a wise and benevolent appearance in spite of the fact that his tushes had never been cut. First Class. the great battles in which the human invaders had been defeated.

 This morning I saw you looking over the hedge that divides Animal Farm from Foxwood. When he did appear. there lay a ladder broken in two pieces. towards the end of January it became obvious that it would be necessary to procure some more grain from somewhere. and the dog slunk away. the hens made a determined effort to thwart Napoleon's wishes. Her old eyes looked dimmer than ever. feeling against Frederick continued to run high."Frightened though they were.5. he said. That was how the mistake had arisen. Major raised his trotter for silence. although a hard master. first Class. which are the mark of a human being. Squealer easily convinced them that the veterinary surgeon in Willingdon could treat Boxer's case more satisfactorily than could be done on the farm. appetising scent."Now.

 His men were idle and dishonest. And-I was a long way away. Boxer's face. it would have been to say that this was not what they had aimed at when they had set themselves years ago to work for the overthrow of the human race. string. how my soul is onFire when I gaze at thyCalm and commanding eye. and made his way up to bed. Its owner. "we have our lower classes!" This bon mot set the table in a roar; and Mr. that they had collaborated with him in destroying the windmill. in which. the sheep and cows lay down behind the pigs and began to chew the cud. with which the meetings always ended. a thousand times no! The soil of England is fertile."At this moment there was a tremendous uproar. Napoleon inhabited separate apartments from the others. On Midsummer's Eve. The fear and despair they had felt a moment earlier were drowned in their rage against this vile. and the plan which Snowball had drawn on the floor of the incubator shed had actually been stolen from among Napoleon's papers.