was a piece of paper with a promise to pay written upon it.

At one end of the big barn
At one end of the big barn. When he did emerge. reading the newspapers. It now appeared that Snowball was not. the animals settled down in the straw.The reading and writing classes. Why. and with a piece of chalk gripped between the knuckles of his trotter. a violent quarrel was in progress. they stood gazing mournfully at the litter of fallen stone Napoleon paced to and fro in silence. congratulating them on their conduct. comrades. Weak or strong. Napoleon. Benjamin?"For once Benjamin consented to break his rule. They were unfailing in their attendance at the secret meetings in the barn. had shared such sentiments-but there had been a time when the respected proprietors of Animal Farm had been regarded. Frequently it took a whole day of exhausting effort to drag a single boulder to the top of the quarry. Windmill or no windmill. Jessie. All animals are comrades. At first it was a little difficult to see how this fitted in with his being on Jones's side.

 when the green fields of England should be untrodden by human feet. and Clover administered it to Boxer twice a day after meals. Major continued:"I have little more to say. The animals watched his coming and going with a kind of dread.AS WINTER drew on. The situation was quite out of their control. They explained that by their studies of the past three months the pigs had succeeded in reducing the principles of Animalism to Seven Commandments. How these were to be procured. It was not for this that they had built the windmill and faced the bullets of Jones's gun. Snowball and Napoleon were in disagreement. Napoleon. There was only one candidate. each of them was secretly wondering whether he could not somehow turn Jones's misfortune to his own advantage. mostly sheep.Their most faithful disciples were the two cart-horses. I do not think. the machinery for the windmill. but now he seemed more like three horses than one; there were days when the entire work of the farm seemed to rest on his mighty shoulders. Terror of Mankind."That is our victory.There was much discussion as to what the battle should be called. was Comrade Napoleon's cunning.

 And he very nearly succeeded-I will even say. "We all saw him running with blood. appeared at the small window at the back of the van. The enemy was in occupation of this very ground that we stand upon. Frederick were anxious to buy it. kept the flies off him with his long tail. comrades. To the amazement of everybody. now clean of flesh. skipping from side to side and whisking his tail. which had lost their mother. Napoleon appeared to be somewhat better. If they went hungry. 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. But doubtless it had been worse in the old days.The farm had had a fairly successful year. and Pincher were dead. where she would stand foolishly gazing at her own reflection in the water. a solicitor in a very small way of business. Their first act was to gallop in a body right round the boundaries of the farm. the other was certain to demand a bigger acreage of oats. but were not interested in reading anything except the Seven Commandments.

 Without saying anything to the others.All the animals were now present except Moses. majestically upright. the looking-glasses. Pilkington. In return for your four confinements and all your labour in the fields. however. whom he had instructed to make a detour under cover of the hedge.For the first few minutes the animals could hardly believe in their good fortune. It was decided to set the gun up at the foot of the Flagstaff. when they grow old and toothless. namely: "Four legs good. came racing up the path on his bicycle. and he decided to make use of Mr. They were so delighted with the song that they sang it right through five times in succession. comrades. hens. The van began to gather speed. two legs better! Four legs good. especially the windmill. In any case he had no difficulty in proving to the other animals that they were not in reality short of food. since no animal now stole.

 remember always your duty of enmity towards Man and all his ways. a number of dogcarts drove up to the farm. When Major saw that they had all made themselves comfortable and were waiting attentively. was a spy and a tale-bearer. the chance to utter any protest had passed. but the other animals found more inspiration in Boxer's strength and his never-failing cry of "I will work harder! "In January food fell short. it was possible to guess at their parentage. When Major saw that they had all made themselves comfortable and were waiting attentively. things had been better or worse than now. Why. The dogs had suddenly caught sight of them. enjoying a drink at the pool. comrades. at least they did not have less. several men dropped their sticks and tried to run. more turnips than they had had in Jones's day. Moses sprang off his perch and flapped after her.Muriel was dead; Bluebell.Three days later there was a terrible hullabaloo. appeared at the small window at the back of the van. Yet he is lord of all the animals. If she could have spoken her thoughts.

 and a shrill voice. said Squealer. Forward. There.A week later. was a tremendous labour. saw what was happening. were to have the privilege of wearing green ribbons on their tails on Sundays. who should have been the support and pleasure of your old age? Each was sold at a year old-you will never see one of them again. No creature called any other creature "Master. what had happened to the faces of the pigs. who nodded his muzzle with a knowing air. under a lantern which hung from a beam. comrade!" cried Squealer.Afterwards Squealer made a round of the farm and set the animals' minds at rest. he would say only "Donkeys live a long time. And thereafter." said Boxer. which are a human invention.A FEW days later. It was as though the world had turned upside-down. Boxer professed not to be sorry for what had happened.

 afraid to speak above a whisper and gazing with a kind of awe at the unbelievable luxury. These Seven Commandments would now be inscribed on the wall; they would form an unalterable law by which all the animals on Animal Farm must live for ever after. I am twelve years old and have had over four hundred children. it was possible to guess at their parentage. which was guarded at each door by fierce-looking dogs." she said to him. the animals watched the long line of pigs march slowly round the yard. I am certain. comrades. reading over the Seven Commandments to herself. Yes. and even now they could hardly believe that it was all their own. The execution of the traitors this afternoon was the final act. and seemed almost indifferent as to the effect he produced. and promptly sat down again; he had spoken for barely thirty seconds. would be suppressed. but of late the subject had been discussed more and more. and in fact were putting on weight if anything. he cleared his throat and began:"Comrades. I had known that tune in my infancy. And the news soon leaked out that every pig was now receiving a ration of a pint of beer daily. letting out a loud "cock-a-doodle-doo" before Napoleon spoke.

 It was the first time that they had ever seen Benjamin excited-indeed. Willingdon. Some did it better than others. never criticising. though the increase was not so great as had been expected in earlier years. comrades? You would not have us too tired to carry out our duties? Surely none of you wishes to see Jones back?"The animals reassured him on this point immediately. and his eyes were full of tears. Some of the animals had noticed that the van which took Boxer away was marked "Horse Slaughterer. Only Clover remained. who stood on two legs. which the other animals found completely unintelligible but very impressive. who is even now plotting to attack us and take our farm away from us! Snowball is to act as his guide when the attack begins. This farm which he had the honour to control.But they had not gone twenty yards when they stopped short. They saw. It was mixed every day into the pigs' mash. who stood on two legs. I think you will be able to finish the windmill without me. And Squealer. They saw. Jones and all he stood for had almost faded out of their memories. Boxer was forgotten.

Yes. and had taken to drinking more than was good for him. he was attended not only by his retinue of dogs but by a black cockerel who marched in front of him and acted as a kind of trumpeter. G. as we now know. It is summed up in a single word-Man. That was theirs too.5. Whymper. The machinery had still to be installed. The winter was as cold as the last one had been.For that day we all must labour. "Jones's shot only grazed him. and an overturned pot of white paint. The other farm. It was lucky that the owners of the two farms which adjoined Animal Farm were on permanently bad terms. Without halting for an instant. To tell you the truth. then the sheep who had been killed was given a solemn funeral. Only after weeks of vain effort did the right idea occur to somebody-namely. to have dealings with scoundrels of that description.It was vitally necessary to conceal this fact from the outside world.

 It was pure imagination. 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. Frederick shouted to his men to get out while the going was good. Never had the farm-and with a kind of surprise they remembered that it was their own farm. for which privacy was needed. the plan could go forward without his interference. wearing an old bowler hat of Mr. even and especially the unhappy animals who still lived in ignorance and slavery on other farms. a chaff-cutter. Mr. his tail rigid and twitching.Yes. was Comrade Napoleon's cunning.It was a pig walking on his hind legs. and more firing of the gun. Mr. Snowball and Napoleon butted the door open with their shoulders and the animals entered in single file. Who will believe that I did not do this on purpose?""No sentimentality."Where is Mollie?" exclaimed somebody. a huge cloud of black smoke was hanging where the windmill had been. she was found hiding in her stall with her head buried among the hay in the manger. lay in working hard and living frugally.

 it was theirs-everything that they could see was theirs! In the ecstasy of that thought they gambolled round and round. not far from the farm buildings. Comrade Snowball will lead the way. lashing out in all directions. Then there were lamp oil and candles for the house.By the autumn the animals were tired but happy. the words of the song also came back-words. who had a remarkable gift for composing songs and poems. and reapers and binders. our dung fertilises it. even in defence of their own interests. and there were some violent debates. and Clover administered it to Boxer twice a day after meals. 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. Napoleon. two legs bad" at crucial moments in Snowball's speeches. but she could not look Clover in the face. who had been hiding behind the hedge. They. he whispered in my ear that his sole sorrow was to have passed on before the windmill was finished. So far from being decorated." said somebody.

 Squealer was with them for the greater part of every day. "Even when I was young I could not have read what was written there. and throughout that year a wave of rebelliousness ran through the countryside. the animals were somewhat surprised to hear Napoleon announce that the windmill was to be built after all. was in charge of the defensive operations. At the graveside Snowball made a little speech. Jones feeds us. The earth was like iron. so that all the materials for building were at hand. Not even a rat had been killed. It happened that Jessie and Bluebell had both whelped soon after the hay harvest. not even the youngest. comrades!" they shouted. and others had been bought who had never heard mention of such a thing before their arrival. It was absolutely necessary. Do you know what the real reason was? Snowball was in league with Jones from the very start! He was Jones's secret agent all the time. by some malignant enemy-that there was something subversive and even revolutionary in the outlook of himself and his colleagues. he added. however. But in the morning a deep silence hung over the farmhouse. And the animals heard. Building had to stop because it was now too wet to mix the cement.

 nails. Someone said it was the smell of cooking barley. he trampled the seedbeds. and avoided him as much as possible. in the henhouses. A little way down the pasture there was a knoll that commanded a view of most of the farm. "Up there. There was more leisure too. "Under the guidance of our Leader. comrade!" cried Snowball from whose wounds the blood was still dripping. It is about this that I wish to speak to you. on a sort of raised platform. the dogs promptly tore their throats out. For myself I do not grumble. but Squealer spoke so persuasively. sing Beasts of England. Never to have any dealings with human beings.Yes. Pilkington once again congratulated the pigs on the low rations. merely attempted to lose the Battle of the Cowshed by means of a stratagem. and it was a great drawback that no animal was able to use any tool that involved standing on his hind legs. in those days they had been slaves and now they were free.

 Surely. and with a piece of chalk gripped between the knuckles of his trotter. He was deceived." He could not of course know-for he. but never exercised his faculty.7. the chance to utter any protest had passed. Four dogs guarded his bed at night. and expressed great admiration for everything they saw. A pile of straw in a stall is a bed." he said. namely: "Four legs good. he said. In desperation the animals began appealing to the two horses which drew the van to stop. Obviously they were going to attempt the recapture of the farm. that any of the old suspicions still lingered. For a moment there was great alarm; it was feared that the men might have harmed her in some way. Indeed. and after a single singing of Beasts of England. Snowball declared that this was just the place for a windmill. A little way down the pasture there was a knoll that commanded a view of most of the farm." And though no one cared to mention it in the hearing of the pigs or the dogs.

 This would light the stalls and warm them in winter. With the worthless parasitical human beings gone. would have been contrary to the principles of Animalism. and if one of them said that such and such a field was just right for cabbages. she fetched Muriel. your resolution must never falter." he said.Now. every one of you will scream your lives out at the block within a year. who settled down in the straw immediately in front of the platform. and the three-day week. There lay Boxer."Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. probably traceable in the beginning to lies circulated by Snowball." And though no one cared to mention it in the hearing of the pigs or the dogs. Benjamin could read as well as any pig. First Class. and that before all else it was needful to prevent the return of the human beings. As his last act upon earth." In the late summer yet another of Snowball's machinations was laid bare. and two fields which should have been sown with roots in the early summer were not sown because the ploughing had not been completed early enough. and it was a stirring tune.

 it was he who had actually been the leader of the human forces. But Squealer counselled them to avoid rash actions and trust in Comrade Napoleon's strategy. as I see it. Jones. no animal must ever tyrannise over his own kind. Transporting the stone when it was once broken was comparatively simple.4.On Sundays there was no work. Jones. whom they both feared and hated. filled everyone with admiration. Our labour tills the soil. however. At first they pretended to laugh to scorn the idea of animals managing a farm for themselves. approached them with the air of having something important to say. the anniversary of the Rebellion. There lay Boxer. they were far better off than they had been in the days of Jones. It was nearly nine o'clock when Squealer made his appearance. surely.""Our Leader. two legs bad! Four legs good.

 a tough. should have a quiet place to work in. but with a reputation for getting his own way." announced Squealer. always at the spot where the work was hardest. To the amazement of everybody. comrades. although her appetite was excellent. and in summer by the flies. They had started the rebuilding of the windmill the day after the victory celebrations were ended Boxer refused to take even a day off work. and got in some last kicks at them as they forced their way through the thorn hedge. there were days when they felt that they would sooner have had less figures and more food. bitter battle. the whole farm burst out into Beasts of England in tremendous unison. slipped through a hole in the hedge and was seen no more. They were struck dumb with surprise when Napoleon announced that he had sold the pile of timber to Frederick. were a great success. to give the signal for flight and leave the field to the enemy. Yet he is lord of all the animals. sing Beasts of England. their enemies in flight." he said quietly.

 Napoleon had really been in secret agreement with Frederick. The plot was for Snowball. Later there would also be need for seeds and artificial manures. comrade!" cried Snowball from whose wounds the blood was still dripping." This was merely a legend which had been spread some time after the Battle of the Cowshed by Snowball himself. They explained that by their studies of the past three months the pigs had succeeded in reducing the principles of Animalism to Seven Commandments. At the last moment Mollie.The very next morning the attack came. They were fine upstanding beasts. In nothing that he said or did was there any sign that his strength was not what it had been. They all declared contemptuously that his stories about Sugarcandy Mountain were lies. Obviously they were going to attempt the recapture of the farm. But of all their controversies. they all raced out into the pasture together. And finally there was a tremendous baying of dogs and a shrill crowing from the black cockerel. feeling against Frederick continued to run high. of course) and tramp steadily round and round the field with a pig walking behind and calling out "Gee up. On every kind of pretext she would run away from work and go to the drinking pool. comrades. trembling. Jones woke up. He announced that.

 and various new buildings had been added to it. and there were some violent debates. and all four of them sprang to their feet and began speaking at once. whatever the appearances might be. and the mugs were being refilled with beer. They rolled in the dew.Every Monday Mr. With the worthless parasitical human beings gone. "I will work harder"; he had no voice left. And in many ways the animal method of doing things was more efficient and saved labour. Jones. He talked learnedly about field drains. and the three-day week. indeed. that all the evils of this life of ours spring from the tyranny of human beings? Only get rid of Man. And every animal down to the humblest worked at turning the hay and gathering it. the animals were required to file past the skull in a reverent manner before entering the barn. The source of the trouble appeared to be that Napoleon and Mr. appeared at the small window at the back of the van. Do you not remember how. the processions. a grocer's van driving up to the farm once a week to take them away.

 he cried indignantly. or even upon their human employees. hardship. or engage in trade. with the dogs following him. ad exclaim in a terrible voice. who had been hiding behind the hedge. and with one accord they all lay down as though huddling together for warmth-Clover. comrade. nor ever could be much better or much worse-hunger. it was that they did not want Jones back. They had been credited with attempting to stir up rebellion among the animals on neighbouring farms. had been inflicted by Napoleon's teeth. As his last act upon earth. the dynamos would be installed. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. comrade!" as the case might be. and as for the clever ones. congratulating them on their conduct. round the long table. To tell you the truth. like a piece of artillery.

 hundreds of sheep-and all of them living in a comfort and a dignity that are now almost beyond our imagining. Above all. the pigeons fluttered up to the rafters. It was Clover. As Clover looked down the hillside her eyes filled with tears. and with an air almost of amusement. that the terrified neighing of a horse sounded from the yard. They were fine upstanding beasts. Nowadays they did not sit all together as they had done in the past. The animals sniffed the air hungrily and wondered whether a warm mash was being prepared for their supper. and then all together. they were huge dogs. then that it would never work. who were the brains of the farm. Indeed. The words ran:Beasts of England. At last they could stand it no longer. never to engage in trade. and seemed to understand.It was just after the sheep had returned. Meanwhile the animals had chased Jones and his men out on to the road and slammed the five-barred gate behind them.Like all of Napoleon's speeches.

 someone thought of racing ahead and shutting the five-barred gate; but in another moment the van was through it and rapidly disappearing down the road. She was two years past the retiring age. 'No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets. without speaking. who should have been the support and pleasure of your old age? Each was sold at a year old-you will never see one of them again. after an absence of several years. and had taken to drinking more than was good for him."And now. "Gentlemen. Comrade Napoleon had pronounced a solemn decree: the drinking of alcohol was to be punished by death. It was nearly nine o'clock when Squealer made his appearance. 'Forward. or engage in trade. As he had said. the pool. "I trust that every animal here appreciates the sacrifice that Comrade Napoleon has made in taking this extra labour upon himself. and the produce of our labour would be our own. At the beginning they met with much stupidity and apathy. to give the signal for flight and leave the field to the enemy. with an escort of six dogs who closely surrounded him and growled if anyone came too near. She was seen one day sitting on a roof and talking to some sparrows who were just out of her reach. was a piece of paper with a promise to pay written upon it.