Top Banner
497

Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Jul 14, 2020

Download

Documents

dariahiddleston
Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Page 1: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1
Page 2: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

AnimalFarm

GeorgeOrwell

AnimalFarm

TableofContents

AnimalFarm.......................................................................................................................................................1

GeorgeOrwell..........................................................................................................................................1

Page 3: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

I................................................................................................................................................................1

II...............................................................................................................................................................5

III..............................................................................................................................................................9

IV...........................................................................................................................................................12

V.............................................................................................................................................................14

VI...........................................................................................................................................................18

VII..........................................................................................................................................................22

Page 4: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

VIII.........................................................................................................................................................27

IX...........................................................................................................................................................33

X.............................................................................................................................................................38

i

AnimalFarm

GeorgeOrwell

I

Page 5: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

II

III

IV

Page 6: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

V

VI

VII

VIII

Page 7: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

IX

X

EtextbyRoderickdaRat

I

Page 8: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

MR. JONES, of the ManorFarm, had locked the hen−housesforthenight,butwastoo drunk to remember toshut the popholes. With thering of light fromhis lanterndancing fromside to side,helurched across the yard,kicked off his boots at thebackdoor,drewhimselfalastglass of beer from the barrelin the scullery, andmade hisway up to bed, where Mrs.Joneswasalreadysnoring.

Page 9: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

As soon as the light in thebedroomwentouttherewasastirring and a fluttering allthrough the farm buildings.Wordhadgone roundduringthe day that old Major, theprizeMiddleWhiteboar,hadhad a strange dream on thepreviousnight andwished tocommunicate it to the otheranimals. It had been agreedthat they should all meet inthe big barn as soon as Mr.Jones was safely out of the

Page 10: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

way. Old Major (so he wasalways called, though thename under which he hadbeen exhibited wasWillingdon Beauty) was sohighly regarded on the farmthateveryonewasquitereadyto lose an hour's sleep inorder to hearwhat he had tosay. At one end of the bigbarn, on a sort of raisedplatform, Major was alreadyensconced on his bed ofstraw, under a lantern which

Page 11: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

hung from a beam. He wastwelve years old and hadlatelygrown rather stout, buthe was still a majestic−lookingpig,withawiseandbenevolent appearance inspite of the fact that histushes had never been cut.Beforelongtheotheranimalsbegan to arrive and makethemselves comfortable aftertheir different fashions. Firstcame the three dogs,Bluebell, Jessie, andPincher,

Page 12: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

andthenthepigs,whosettleddown in the strawimmediately in front of theplatform. The hens perchedthemselves on the window−sills, the pigeons flutteredup to the rafters, the sheepand cows lay down behindthe pigs and began to chewthecud.Thetwocart−horses,Boxer and Clover, came intogether,walkingveryslowlyand setting down their vasthairy hoofs with great care

Page 13: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

lest there should be somesmallanimalconcealedinthestraw. Clover was a stoutmotherly mare approachingmiddle life, who had neverquitegotherfigurebackafterherfourthfoal.Boxerwasanenormous beast, nearlyeighteen hands high, and asstrong as any two ordinaryhorses put together. A whitestripe down his nose gavehim a somewhat stupidappearance, and in fact he

Page 14: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

was not of first−rateintelligence, but he wasuniversally respected for hissteadiness of character andtremendous powers of work.AfterthehorsescameMuriel,thewhitegoat,andBenjamin,thedonkey.Benjaminwastheoldest animal on the farm,and the worst tempered. Heseldom talked, and when hedid, it was usually to makesome cynical remark−forinstance, he would say that

Page 15: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

God had given him a tail tokeep thefliesoff,but thathewouldsoonerhavehadnotailandnoflies.Aloneamongtheanimalsonthefarmheneverlaughed. If asked why, hewould say that he sawnothing to laugh at.Nevertheless, without openlyadmitting it, he was devotedto Boxer; the two of themusually spent their Sundaystogetherinthesmallpaddockbeyond the orchard, Animal

Page 16: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Farm

1

AnimalFarm

grazing side by side andneverspeaking.

The two horses had just laindown when a brood ofducklings, which had losttheir mother, filed into thebarn, cheeping feebly and

Page 17: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

wandering from side to sidetofindsomeplacewheretheywould not be trodden on.Clover made a sort of wallround them with her greatforeleg, and the ducklingsnestled down inside it andpromptly fell asleep. At thelast moment Mollie, thefoolish, pretty white marewho drew Mr. Jones's trap,came mincing daintily in,chewing at a lump of sugar.She took a place near the

Page 18: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

front and began flirting herwhite mane, hoping to drawattention to theredribbons itwas plaited with. Last of allcame the cat, who lookedround, as usual, for thewarmest place, and finallysqueezed herself in betweenBoxer and Clover; there shepurred contentedlythroughout Major's speechwithoutlisteningtoawordofwhat he was saying. All theanimals were now present

Page 19: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

except Moses, the tameraven, who slept on a perchbehind the back door. WhenMajor saw that they had allmadethemselvescomfortableandwerewaiting attentively,he cleared his throat andbegan:

"Comrades, you have heardalready about the strangedream that I had last night.But Iwillcome to thedreamlater.Ihavesomethingelseto

Page 20: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

say first. I do not think,comrades,thatIshallbewithyou formanymonths longer,andbefore I die, I feel itmyduty to pass on to you suchwisdomas I have acquired. Ihave had a long life, I havehadmuchtimeforthoughtasI lay alone inmy stall, and Ithink I may say that Iunderstand the nature of lifeon this earth as well as anyanimalnowliving.Itisaboutthis that I wish to speak to

Page 21: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

you.

"Now, comrades,what is thenatureofthislifeofours?Letus face it: our lives aremiserable, laborious, andshort. We are born, we aregiven just so much food aswill keep the breath in ourbodies, and those of us whoarecapableofitareforcedtowork to the last atom of ourstrength; and thevery instantthat our usefulness has come

Page 22: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

to an endwe are slaughteredwith hideous cruelty. Noanimal inEnglandknows themeaning of happiness orleisure after he is a year old.NoanimalinEnglandisfree.The life of an animal ismiseryandslavery:thatistheplaintruth.

"Butisthissimplypartoftheorderofnature?Is itbecausethis land of ours is so poorthat it cannot afford adecent

Page 23: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

life to thosewhodwell uponit?No,comrades, a thousandtimesno!ThesoilofEnglandis fertile, its climate is good,itiscapableofaffordingfoodin abundance to anenormously greater numberof animals than now inhabitit. This single farm of ourswould support a dozenhorses, twenty cows,hundredsof sheep−andallofthem living in a comfort andadignitythatarenowalmost

Page 24: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

beyond our imagining. Whythen do we continue in thismiserablecondition?Becausenearly the whole of theproduce of our labour isstolen from us by humanbeings. There, comrades, isthe answer to all ourproblems.Itissummedupina single word−Man. Man istheonlyrealenemywehave.RemoveManfromthescene,and the root cause of hungerandoverworkisabolishedfor

Page 25: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

ever.

"Manistheonlycreaturethatconsumeswithout producing.He does not give milk, hedoes not lay eggs, he is tooweak to pull the plough, hecannot run fast enough tocatchrabbits.Yetheislordofall the animals.He sets themto work, he gives back tothem the bare minimum thatwill prevent them fromstarving,andtheresthekeeps

Page 26: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

for himself. Our labour tillsthesoil,ourdungfertilisesit,andyetthereisnotoneofusthatownsmore thanhisbareskin. You cows that I seebefore me, how manythousands of gallons of milkhave you given during thislast year? And what hashappened to that milk whichshouldhavebeenbreedingupsturdy calves? Every drop ofit has gone down the throatsof our enemies. And you

Page 27: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

hens, how many eggs haveyoulaidin this lastyear,andhowmanyofthoseeggseverhatched into chickens? Therest have all gone to marketto bring in money for Jonesand his men. And you,Clover, where are those fourfoals you bore, who shouldhave been the support andpleasure of your old age?Each was sold at a year old−you will never see one ofthemagain.Inreturnforyour

Page 28: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

four confinements and allyourlabourinthefields,whathave you ever had exceptyourbarerationsandastall?

AnimalFarm

2

AnimalFarm

"Andeventhemiserableliveswe lead are not allowed toreach their natural span. For

Page 29: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

myselfIdonotgrumble,forIam one of the lucky ones. Iamtwelveyearsoldandhavehad over four hundredchildren. Such is the naturallife of a pig. But no animalescapes thecruelknife in theend.Youyoungporkerswhoare sitting in front of me,everyoneofyouwillscreamyour lives out at the blockwithin a year. To that horrorweallmustcome−cows,pigs,hens, sheep, everyone. Even

Page 30: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

thehorses and thedogshaveno better fate. You, Boxer,the very day that those greatmuscles of yours lose theirpower, Joneswill sell you tothe knacker, who will cutyour throat and boil youdown for the foxhounds. Asforthedogs,whentheygrowoldandtoothless,Jonestiesabrick round their necks anddrowns them in the nearestpond.

Page 31: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

"Is it not crystal clear, then,comrades,thatalltheevilsofthis life of ours spring fromthetyrannyofhumanbeings?Onlyget ridofMan,and theproduce of our labour wouldbe our own. A1mostovernight we could becomerichandfree.Whatthenmustwedo?Why,worknightandday, body and soul, for theoverthrowofthehumanrace!That is my message to you,comrades:Rebellion!Idonot

Page 32: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

know when that Rebellionwill come, it might be in aweek or in a hundred years,butIknow,assurelyasIseethis straw beneath my feet,that sooner or later justicewill be done. Fix your eyesonthat,comrades,throughoutthe short remainder of yourlives!Andaboveall,passonthismessageofminetothosewho come after you, so thatfuture generations shall carryon the struggle until it is

Page 33: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

victorious.

"And remember, comrades,your resolution must neverfalter.Noargumentmustleadyouastray.NeverlistenwhentheytellyouthatManandtheanimals have a commoninterest,thattheprosperityofthe one is the prosperity ofthe others. It is all lies.Manserves the interests of nocreature except himself. Andamongusanimalslettherebe

Page 34: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

perfect unity, perfectcomradeship in the struggle.All men are enemies. Allanimalsarecomrades."

At this moment there was atremendous uproar. WhileMajor was speaking fourlarge rats had crept out oftheirholesandweresittingontheirhindquarters,listeningtohim. The dogs had suddenlycaught sight of them, and itwas only by a swift dash for

Page 35: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

theirholesthat theratssavedtheir lives. Major raised histrotterforsilence.

"Comrades,"hesaid,"hereisa point that must be settled.The wild creatures, such asrats and rabbits−are they ourfriends or our enemies? Letusputittothevote.Iproposethis question to the meeting:Areratscomrades?"

The vote was taken at once,

Page 36: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

and it was agreed by anoverwhelming majority thatrats were comrades. Therewere only four dissentients,the three dogs and the cat,who was afterwardsdiscovered to have voted onbothsides.Majorcontinued:

"I have little more to say. Imerely repeat, rememberalways your duty of enmitytowards Man and all hisways. Whatever goes upon

Page 37: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

two legs is an enemy.Whatever goes upon fourlegs,orhaswings,isafriend.And remember also that infighting against Man, wemust not come to resemblehim. Even when you haveconquered him, do not adopthis vices. No animal mustever live inahouse,or sleepin a bed, or wear clothes, ordrink alcohol, or smoketobacco, or touch money, orengageintrade.Allthehabits

Page 38: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

ofMan are evil. And, aboveall, no animal must evertyrannise over his own kind.Weak or strong, clever orsimple, we are all brothers.Noanimalmusteverkillanyotheranimal.All animalsareequal.

"And now, comrades, I willtell you about my dream oflast night. I cannot describethat dream to you. It was adream of the earth as it will

Page 39: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

be when Man has vanished.But it reminded me ofsomething that I had longforgotten. Many years ago,when I was a little pig, mymother and the other sowsused to sing an old song ofwhich they knew only thetuneandthefirstthreewords.I had known that tune inmyinfancy,but ithadlongsincepassed out ofmymind. Lastnight, however, it came backtomeinmydream.Andwhat

Page 40: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

ismore,thewordsofthesongalso came back−words, I amcertain, which were sung bythe animals of long ago andhaveAnimalFarm

3

AnimalFarm

been lost to memory forgenerations. I will sing youthat song now, comrades. Iam old and my voice is

Page 41: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

hoarse, but when I havetaught you the tune, you cansingitbetterforyourselves.ItiscalledBeastsofEngland."

Old Major cleared his throatandbegantosing.Ashehadsaid, his voice was hoarse,buthesangwellenough,andit was a stirring tune,something betweenClementine and LaCucaracha. The words ran:Beasts of England, beasts of

Page 42: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Ireland,

Beasts of every land andclime,

Hearkentomyjoyfultidings

Ofthegoldenfuturetime.

Soon or late the day iscoming,

Tyrant Man shall beo'erthrown,

Page 43: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

And the fruitful fields ofEngland

Shallbetrodbybeastsalone.

Rings shall vanish from ournoses,

And the harness from ourback,

Bit and spur shall rustforever,

Page 44: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Cruel whips no more shallcrack.

Riches more than mind canpicture,

Wheat and barley, oats andhay,

Clover, beans, and mangel−wurzels

Shallbeoursuponthatday.

Page 45: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

BrightwillshinethefieldsofEngland,

Purershallitswatersbe,

Sweeter yet shall blow itsbreezes

Onthedaythatsetsusfree.

For that day we all mustlabour,

Though we die before it

Page 46: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

break;

AnimalFarm

4

AnimalFarm

Cows and horses, geese andturkeys,

All must toil for freedom'ssake.

Page 47: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Beasts of England, beasts ofIreland,

Beasts of every land andclime,

Hearkenwell and spreadmytidings

Ofthegoldenfuturetime.

The singing of this songthrew the animals into thewildest excitement. Almost

Page 48: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

beforeMajorhadreachedtheend,theyhadbegunsingingitfor themselves. Even thestupidestofthemhadalreadypickedup the tuneanda fewof the words, and as for theclever ones, such as the pigsanddogs, theyhad the entiresong by heart within a fewminutes. And then, after afew preliminary tries, thewhole farm burst out intoBeasts of England intremendousunison.Thecows

Page 49: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

lowed it, the dogswhined it,the sheep bleated it, thehorseswhinnied it, theducksquacked it. They were sodelighted with the song thattheysangitrightthroughfivetimes in succession, andmighthavecontinuedsingingit all night if they had notbeen interrupted.Unfortunately, the uproarawokeMr.Jones,whosprangout of bed, making sure thatthere was a fox in the yard.

Page 50: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

He seized the gun whichalways stood in a corner ofhis bedroom, and let fly achargeofnumber6 shot intothe darkness. The pelletsburiedthemselvesinthewallof the barn and the meetingbrokeuphurriedly.Everyonefled to his own sleeping−place. The birds jumped onto their perches, the animalssettleddowninthestraw,andthewholefarmwasasleepinamoment.

Page 51: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

II

THREE nights later oldMajor died peacefully in hissleep.Hisbodywasburiedatthe foot of the orchard. Thiswas early in March. Duringthe next three months therewas much secret activity.Major's speech had given tothe more intelligent animalsonthefarmacompletelynewoutlookon life.Theydidnotknow when the Rebellion

Page 52: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

predicted by Major wouldtakeplace,theyhadnoreasonfor thinking that it would bewithintheirownlifetime,butthey saw clearly that it wastheir duty to prepare for it.The work of teaching andorganising the others fellnaturally upon the pigs, whowere generally recognised asbeing the cleverest of theanimals. Pre−eminent amongthe pigs were two youngboars named Snowball and

Page 53: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Napoleon, whom Mr. Joneswas breeding up for sale.Napoleonwas a large, ratherfierce−looking Berkshireboar, the only Berkshire onthe farm, not much of atalker, but with a reputationfor getting his own way.Snowball was a morevivaciouspig thanNapoleon,quicker in speech and moreinventive, but was notconsidered to have the samedepth of character. All the

Page 54: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

other male pigs on the farmwereporkers.Thebestknownamong them was a small fatpig named Squealer, withvery round cheeks, twinklingeyes,nimblemovements,anda shrill voice. He was abrilliant talker, and when hewas arguing some difficultpoint he had a way ofskippingfromsidetosideandwhisking his tail which wassomehow very persuasive.The others said of Squealer

Page 55: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

that he could turn black intowhite.

These three had elaboratedold Major's teachings into acomplete system of thought,towhich theygave thenameofAnimalism.Severalnightsa week, after Mr. Jones wasasleep, they held secretmeetings in the barn andexpounded the principles ofAnimalism to the others. Atthe beginning they met with

Page 56: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

much stupidity and apathy.Someoftheanimalstalkedofthe duty of loyalty to Mr.Jones,whom they referred toas "Master," or madeelementary remarks such as"Mr. Jones feeds us. If hewere gone, we should starvetodeath."OthersII

5

AnimalFarm

Page 57: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

askedsuchquestionsas"Whyshouldwecarewhathappensafterwearedead?"or"IfthisRebellion is to happenanyway,whatdifferencedoesitmakewhetherweworkforit or not?", and the pigs hadgreat difficulty in makingthem see that this wascontrary to the spirit ofAnimalism. The stupidestquestionsofallwereaskedbyMollie, the white mare. Thevery first question she asked

Page 58: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Snowball was: "Will therestill be sugar after theRebellion?"

"No," said Snowball firmly."We have no means ofmaking sugar on this farm.Besides, you do not needsugar. You will have all theoatsandhayyouwant."

"And shall I still be allowedtowearribbonsinmymane?"askedMollie.

Page 59: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

"Comrade," said Snowball,"thoseribbonsthatyouaresodevoted to are the badge ofslavery. Can you notunderstand that liberty isworthmorethanribbons?"

Mollieagreed,butshedidnotsoundveryconvinced.

The pigs had an even harderstruggletocounteracttheliesputaboutbyMoses,thetameraven. Moses, who was Mr.

Page 60: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Jones's especial pet, was aspyanda tale−bearer, buthewas also a clever talker. Heclaimed to know of theexistence of a mysteriouscountry called SugarcandyMountain, to which allanimalswentwhentheydied.Itwassituatedsomewhereupin the sky, a little distancebeyond the clouds, Mosessaid.InSugarcandyMountainit was Sunday seven days aweek, clover was in season

Page 61: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

all the year round, and lumpsugar and linseed cake grewon the hedges. The animalshatedMoses because he toldtales and did no work, butsome of them believed inSugarcandy Mountain, andthe pigs had to argue veryhard to persuade them thattherewasnosuchplace.

Their most faithful discipleswere the two cart−horses,BoxerandClover.Thesetwo

Page 62: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

had great difficulty inthinking anything out forthemselves, but having onceaccepted the pigs as theirteachers, they absorbedeverything that they weretold, and passed it on to theother animals by simplearguments. They wereunfailing in their attendanceat the secret meetings in thebarn, and led the singing ofBeasts of England, withwhich the meetings always

Page 63: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

ended.

Now, as it turned out, theRebellionwasachievedmuchearlier and more easily thananyonehad expected. In pastyears Mr. Jones, although ahard master, had been acapablefarmer,butoflatehehad fallen on evil days. Hehad become muchdisheartened after losingmoney in a lawsuit, and hadtaken to drinking more than

Page 64: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

wasgoodforhim.Forwholedays at a time he wouldlounge in his Windsor chairin the kitchen, reading thenewspapers, drinking, andoccasionally feeding Moseson crusts of bread soaked inbeer. His men were idle anddishonest,thefieldswerefullof weeds, the buildingswanted roofing, the hedgeswere neglected, and theanimalswereunderfed.

Page 65: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

June came and the hay wasalmost ready for cutting. OnMidsummer'sEve,whichwasa Saturday, Mr. Jones wentinto Willingdon and got sodrunkattheRedLionthathedidnotcomebacktillmiddayon Sunday. The men hadmilked the cows in the earlymorning and then had goneout rabbiting, withoutbotheringtofeedtheanimals.WhenMr. Jones got back heimmediatelywenttosleepon

Page 66: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

the drawing−room sofa withtheNews of the World overhisface,sothatwheneveningcame, the animals were stillunfed. At last they couldstanditnolonger.Oneofthecowsbrokeinthedoorofthestore−shedwithherhornandall the animalsbegan tohelpthemselves from the bins. Itwas just then that Mr. Joneswoke up. The next momenthe and his fourmenwere inthe store−shedwithwhips in

Page 67: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

theirhands, lashingout inalldirections. This was morethan the hungry animalscould bear.With one accord,though nothing of the kindhadbeenplannedbeforehand,they flung themselves upontheir tormentors. Jones andhis men suddenly foundthemselves being butted andkicked from all sides. Thesituation was quite out oftheir control.Theyhadneverseenanimalsbehave like this

Page 68: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

before, and this suddenuprising of creatures whomthey were used to thrashingandmaltreatingjustastheyII

6

AnimalFarm

chose,frightenedthemalmostoutoftheirwits.Afteronlyamomentor two theygaveuptrying to defend themselvesand took to their heels. A

Page 69: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

minute later all five of themwere in full flight down thecart−trackthatledtothemainroad, with the animalspursuingthemintriumph.

Mrs. Jones looked out of thebedroom window, saw whatwas happening, hurriedlyflungafewpossessionsintoacarpetbag,andslippedoutofthe farm by another way.Moses sprang off his perchand flapped after her,

Page 70: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

croaking loudly. MeanwhiletheanimalshadchasedJonesand his men out on to theroad and slammed the five−barred gate behind them.And so, almost before theyknew what was happening,the Rebellion had beensuccessfully carried through:Jones was expelled, and theManor Farm was theirs. Forthe first few minutes theanimals could hardly believein their good fortune. Their

Page 71: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

first act was to gallop in abody right round theboundaries of the farm, asthough to make quite surethat no human being washidinganywhereuponit;thenthey raced back to the farmbuildings towipeout the lasttraces of Jones's hated reign.Theharness−roomat theendof the stables was brokenopen;thebits,thenose−rings,the dog−chains, the cruelkniveswithwhichMr. Jones

Page 72: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

hadbeenused to castrate thepigsandlambs,wereallflungdownthewell.Thereins, thehalters, the blinkers, thedegrading nosebags, werethrownon to the rubbish firewhich was burning in theyard. Sowere thewhips.Allthe animals caperedwith joywhen they saw the whipsgoingupinflames.Snowballalso threw on to the fire theribbons with which thehorses'

Page 73: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

manes and tails had usuallybeen decorated on marketdays.

"Ribbons," he said, "shouldbe considered as clothes,which are the mark of ahuman being. All animalsshouldgonaked."

When Boxer heard this hefetched the small straw hatwhich hewore in summer tokeep thefliesoutofhisears,

Page 74: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

andflungitontothefirewiththerest.

In a very little while theanimals had destroyedeverything that remindedthemofMr.Jones.Napoleonthen led them back to thestore−shed and served out adouble ration of corn toeverybody, with two biscuitsforeachdog.ThentheysangBeasts of England from endto end seven times running,

Page 75: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

and after that they settleddown for the night and sleptas they had never sleptbefore.

But they woke at dawn asusual, and suddenlyremembering the gloriousthingthathadhappened,theyall raced out into the pasturetogether. A little way downthe pasture therewas a knollthat commanded a view ofmostofthefarm.Theanimals

Page 76: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

rushed to the top of it andgazedroundthemintheclearmorning light. Yes, it wastheirs−everything that theycould see was theirs! In theecstasy of that thought theygambolled round and round,they hurled themselves intothe air in great leaps ofexcitement.Theyrolledinthedew, they croppedmouthfulsof the sweet summer grass,they kicked up clods of theblack earth and snuffed its

Page 77: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

rich scent.Then theymadeatour of inspection of thewhole farm and surveyedwith speechless admirationthe ploughland, the hayfield,the orchard, the pool, thespinney. It was as thoughthey had never seen thesethings before, and even nowtheycouldhardlybelievethatitwasalltheirown.

Then they filed back to thefarm buildings and halted in

Page 78: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

silenceoutsidethedoorofthefarmhouse. That was theirstoo, but theywere frightenedtogoinside.Afteramoment,however, Snowball andNapoleon butted the dooropenwiththeirshouldersandthe animals entered in singlefile,walkingwith the utmostcare for fear of disturbinganything. They tiptoed fromroomtoroom,afraidtospeakabove a whisper and gazingwith a kind of awe at the

Page 79: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

unbelievable luxury, at thebeds with their feathermattresses, the looking−glasses, the horsehair sofa,the Brussels carpet, thelithograph of Queen Victoriaover the drawing−roommantelpiece. They were lustcomingdownthestairswhenMollie was discovered to bemissing. Going back, theothers found that she hadremained behind in the bestbedroom. She had taken a

Page 80: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

piece of blue ribbon fromMrs. Jones's dressing−table,andwasholdingitagainsthershoulderandadmiringherselfin the glass in a very foolishmanner. The othersreproached her sharply, andthey went outside. Somehams hanging in the kitchenII

7

AnimalFarm

Page 81: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

weretakenoutforburial,andthe barrel of beer in thescullery was stove in with akick from Boxer's hoof,−otherwise nothing in thehouse was touched. Aunanimous resolution waspassed on the spot that thefarmhouse should bepreserved as a museum. Allwere agreed that no animalmust ever live there. Theanimals had their breakfast,and then Snowball and

Page 82: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Napoleon called themtogetheragain.

"Comrades," said Snowball,"it is half−past six and wehave a long day before us.Today we begin the hayharvest. But there is anothermatter that must be attendedto first." The pigs nowrevealed that during the pastthreemonths theyhad taughtthemselves to read andwritefrom an old spelling book

Page 83: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

which had belonged to Mr.Jones's children and whichhad been thrown on therubbish heap. Napoleon sentfor pots of black and whitepaintandledthewaydowntothefive−barredgatethatgaveon to the main road. ThenSnowball (for it wasSnowball who was best atwriting)tookabrushbetweenthe two knuckles of histrotter, painted out MANORFARM from the top bar of

Page 84: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

the gate and in its placepainted ANIMAL FARM.This was to be the name ofthe farm from now onwards.After this they went back tothe farm buildings, whereSnowball and Napoleon sentfor a ladder which theycaused to be set against theendwallofthebigbarn.Theyexplainedthatbytheirstudiesof the past three months thepigs had succeeded inreducing the principles of

Page 85: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Animalism to SevenCommandments. TheseSevenCommandmentswouldnowbeinscribedonthewall;they would form anunalterable law by which allthe animals on Animal Farmmustliveforeverafter.Withsome difficulty (for it is noteasy for a pig to balancehimselfonaladder)Snowballclimbed up and set to work,with Squealer a few rungsbelow him holding the paint

Page 86: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

−pot. The Commandmentswere written on the tarredwallingreatwhitelettersthatcould be read thirty yardsaway. They ran thus: THESEVENCOMMANDMENTS

Whatevergoesupontwolegsisanenemy.

1.

Whatever goes upon four

Page 87: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

legs,orhaswings,isafriend.

2.

Noanimalshallwearclothes.

3.

No animal shall sleep in abed.

4.

No animal shall drink

Page 88: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

alcohol.

5.

Noanimalshallkillanyotheranimal.

6.

Allanimalsareequal.

7.

It was very neatly written,

Page 89: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

and except that "friend" waswritten "freind" and one ofthe "S's"was thewrongwayround, the spelling wascorrect all the way through.Snowballreaditaloudforthebenefit of the others. All theanimals nodded in completeagreement, and the clevererones at once began to learntheCommandmentsbyheart.

"Now, comrades," criedSnowball, throwingdownthe

Page 90: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

paint−brush,"to thehayfield!Let us make it a point ofhonour to get in the harvestmore quickly than Jones andhismencoulddo."Butatthismoment the three cows,whohad seemed uneasy for sometime past, set up a loudlowing. They had not beenmilked for twenty−fourhours, and their udders werealmost bursting.After a littlethought, the pigs sent forbuckets andmilked the cows

Page 91: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

fairly successfully, theirtrottersbeingwelladapted tothis task. Soon there werefive buckets of frothingcreamy milk at which manyof the animals looked withconsiderableinterest.

"What is going to happen toallthatmilk?"saidsomeone.

"Jonesusedsometimestomixsomeof it inourmash,"saidoneofthehens.II

Page 92: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

8

AnimalFarm

"Never mind the milk,comrades!" cried Napoleon,placinghimselfinfrontofthebuckets. "That will beattended to. The harvest ismore important. ComradeSnowballwillleadtheway.Ishallfollowinafewminutes.Forward, comrades! The hayiswaiting."

Page 93: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Sotheanimals troopeddownto the hayfield to begin theharvest, andwhen they cameback in the evening it wasnoticed that the milk haddisappeared.

III

HOWtheytoiledandsweatedto get the hay in! But theireffortswererewarded,fortheharvest was an even biggersuccessthantheyhadhoped.

Page 94: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Sometimes the work washard; the implements hadbeen designed for humanbeings and not for animals,and it was a great drawbackthatnoanimalwasabletouseany tool that involvedstandingonhishindlegs.Butthe pigs were so clever thatthey could think of a wayroundeverydifficulty.Asforthe horses, they knew everyinch of the field, and in factunderstood the business of

Page 95: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

mowingandrakingfarbetterthan Jones and his men hadever done. The pigs did notactually work, but directedand supervised the others.With their superiorknowledgeitwasnaturalthatthey should assume theleadership.Boxer andCloverwould harness themselves tothe cutter or the horse−rake(nobitsor reinswereneededin these days, of course) andtramp steadily round and

Page 96: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

round the field with a pigwalking behind and callingout "Gee up, comrade!" or"Whoa back, comrade!" asthecasemightbe.Andeveryanimaldown to thehumblestworkedatturningthehayandgathering it. Even the ducksandhens toiled toand froallday in the sun, carrying tinywispsofhayintheirbeaks.Inthe end they finished theharvestintwodays'lesstimethan it had usually taken

Page 97: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Jonesandhismen.Moreover,itwasthebiggestharvestthatthefarmhadeverseen.Therewasnowastagewhatever;thehens and ducks with theirsharp eyes had gathered uptheverylaststalk.Andnotananimalonthefarmhadstolensomuchasamouthful.

All through that summer thework of the farm went likeclockwork.Theanimalswerehappy as they had never

Page 98: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

conceived it possible to be.Every mouthful of food wasan acute positive pleasure,now that it was truly theirown food, produced bythemselves and forthemselves, not doled out tothem by a grudging master.Withtheworthlessparasiticalhumanbeingsgone,therewasmore for everyone to eat.There was more leisure too,inexperienced though theanimalswere.Theymetwith

Page 99: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

many difficulties−forinstance, later in the year,whentheyharvestedthecorn,theyhadtotreaditoutintheancient style and blow awaythe chaff with their breath,since the farm possessed nothreshing machine−but thepigswiththeirclevernessandBoxer with his tremendousmuscles always pulled themthrough. Boxer was theadmiration of everybody. Hehadbeenahardworkereven

Page 100: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

in Jones's time, but now heseemed more like threehorses than one; there weredayswhentheentireworkofthefarmseemedtorestonhismighty shoulders. Frommorning to night he waspushing and pulling, alwaysat the spot where the workwashardest.Hehadmadeanarrangement with one of thecockerels to call him in themorningshalfanhourearlierthan anyone else, and would

Page 101: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

put in some volunteer labourat whatever seemed to bemost needed, before theregularday'sworkbegan.Hisanswer to every problem,every setback, was "I willwork harder!"−which he hadadopted as his personalmotto. But everyone workedaccordingtohiscapacityThehens and ducks, for instance,saved five bushels of corn atthe harvest by gathering upthe stray grains. Nobody

Page 102: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

stole, nobody grumbled overhis rations, the quarrellingandbitingandjealousywhichhad been normal features oflifeintheolddayshadalmostdisappeared. Nobody shirked−oralmostnobody.Mollie,itwas true, was not good atgetting up in the mornings,and had a way of leavingworkearlyonthegroundthattherewasastoneinherhoof.And the behaviour of the catwas somewhat peculiar. It

Page 103: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

was soon noticed that whentherewasworktobedonethecatcouldneverbefound.Shewould vanish for hours onend, and then reappear atmeal−times,orintheeveningafter work was over, asthough nothing hadhappened. But she alwaysmade suchexcellent excuses,andIII

9

Page 104: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

AnimalFarm

purred so affectionately, thatit was impossible not tobelieve in her goodintentions.OldBenjamin, thedonkey, seemed quiteunchanged since theRebellion.Hedidhisworkinthe same slow obstinate wayas he had done it in Jones'stime, never shirking andnever volunteering for extrawork either. About the

Page 105: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Rebellion and its results hewould express no opinion.When asked whether he wasnot happier now that Joneswasgone,hewouldsayonly"Donkeys live a long time.None of you has ever seen adeaddonkey," and theothershad to be content with thiscrypticanswer.

On Sundays there was nowork. Breakfastwas an hourlater than usual, and after

Page 106: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

breakfast there was aceremony which wasobservedeveryweekwithoutfail.Firstcamethehoistingofthe flag.Snowball had foundin the harness−room an oldgreen tablecloth of Mrs.Jones's and had painted on ita hoof and a horn in white.Thiswas runup the flagstaffin the farmhouse gardenevery Sunday 8, morning.Theflagwasgreen,Snowballexplained, to represent the

Page 107: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

greenfieldsofEngland,whilethe hoof and horn signifiedthe future Republic of theAnimals which would arisewhen the human race hadbeen finally overthrown.After the hoisting of the flagall the animals trooped intothe big barn for a generalassembly which was knownas the Meeting. Here theworkofthecomingweekwasplanned out and resolutionswere put forward and

Page 108: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

debated. It was always thepigs who put forward theresolutions. The otheranimals understood how tovote,butcouldneverthinkofany resolutions of their own.SnowballandNapoleonwereby far themost active in thedebates. But it was noticedthat these two were never inagreement: whateversuggestion either of themmade, the other could becountedontoopposeit.Even

Page 109: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

whenitwasresolved−athingno one could object to initself−to set aside the smallpaddock behind the orchardasahomeofrestforanimalswho were past work, therewasastormydebateover thecorrect retiring age for eachclassofanimal.TheMeetingalways ended with thesingingofBeastsofEngland,and the afternoon was givenuptorecreation.Thepigshadsetasidetheharness−roomas

Page 110: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

a headquarters forthemselves. Here, in theevenings, they studiedblacksmithing, carpentering,andothernecessaryartsfrombooks which they hadbroughtoutofthefarmhouse.Snowball alsobusiedhimselfwith organising the otheranimals into what he calledAnimal Committees. He wasindefatigable at this. Heformed the Egg ProductionCommittee for the hens, the

Page 111: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Clean Tails League for thecows,theWildComrades'Re−education Committee (theobjectofthiswastotametherats and rabbits), the WhiterWool Movement for thesheep, and various others,besides instituting classes inreading and writing. On thewhole, these projects were afailure. The attempt to tamethe wild creatures, forinstance, broke down almostimmediately. They continued

Page 112: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

to behave very much asbefore,andwhentreatedwithgenerosity, simply tookadvantage of it. The catjoined the Re−educationCommittee and was veryactiveinitforsomedays.Shewasseenonedaysittingonaroof and talking to somesparrowswhowerejustoutofher reach. She was tellingthem that all animals werenow comrades and that anysparrow who chose could

Page 113: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

come and perch on her paw;but the sparrows kept theirdistance.

The reading and writingclasses, however, were agreat success.By theautumnalmost every animal on thefarm was literate in somedegree.

As for the pigs, they couldalready read and writeperfectly.Thedogslearnedto

Page 114: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

readfairlywell,butwerenotinterestedinreadinganythingexcept the SevenCommandments. Muriel, thegoat, could read somewhatbetter than the dogs, andsometimesusedtoreadtotheothers in the evenings fromscraps of newspaper whichshe found on the rubbishheap.Benjamincouldreadaswell as any pig, but neverexercised his faculty. So farasheknew,hesaid,therewas

Page 115: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

nothing worth reading.Clover learnt the wholealphabet, but could not putwords together. Boxer couldnot get beyond the letter D.Hewould trace outA, B, C,D, in the dust with his greathoof, and then would standstaring at the letters with hisearsback,sometimesshakinghis forelock, trying with allhis might to remember whatcame next and neversucceeding. On several

Page 116: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

occasions, indeed, he didlearn E, F, G, H, but by thetime he knew them, it wasalwaysdiscoveredthathehadforgotten A, B, C, and D.Finally he decided to becontent with the first fourletters,andusedtowritethemout once or twice every daytorefreshhismemory.Mollierefused to learn any but thesix letters which spelt herown name. She would formthese very neatly out of

Page 117: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

pieces of twig, and wouldthen decorate them with aflowerortwoIII

10

AnimalFarm

and walk round themadmiringthem.

Noneof theotheranimalsonthe farm could get furtherthan the letterA. Itwas also

Page 118: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

found that the stupideranimals, such as the sheep,hens,andducks,wereunableto learn the SevenCommandments by heart.AftermuchthoughtSnowballdeclared that the SevenCommandments could ineffect be reduced to a singlemaxim, namely: "Four legsgood,twolegsbad."This,hesaid, contained the essentialprinciple of Animalism.Whoever had thoroughly

Page 119: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

graspeditwouldbesafefromhuman influences. The birdsat first objected, since itseemedtothemthattheyalsohad two legs, but Snowballproved to them that this wasnotso.

"Abird'swing,comrades,"hesaid, "is an organ ofpropulsion and not ofmanipulation. It shouldthereforeberegardedasaleg.The distinguishing mark of

Page 120: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

man is the hand, theinstrument with which hedoesallhismischief."

The birds did not understandSnowball's long words, buttheyacceptedhisexplanation,and all the humbler animalsset to work to learn the newmaxim by heart. FOURLEGS GOOD, TWO LEGSBAD, was inscribed on theend wall of the barn, abovethe Seven Commandments

Page 121: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

and in bigger letters Whentheyhadoncegotitbyheart,the sheep developed a greatliking for this maxim, andoften as they lay in the fieldthey would all start bleating"Four legs good, two legsbad!Fourlegsgood,twolegsbad!"andkeepitupforhourson end, never growing tiredofit.

Napoleon took no interest inSnowball's committees. He

Page 122: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

said that theeducationof theyoung was more importantthan anything that could bedone for those who werealready grown up. Ithappened that Jessie andBluebell had both whelpedsoon after the hay harvest,giving birth between them tonine sturdypuppies.As soonas they were weaned,Napoleon took them awayfrom their mothers, sayingthat he would make himself

Page 123: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

responsible for theireducation. He took them upinto a loft which could onlybe reached by a ladder fromthe harness−room, and therekept them in such seclusionthat therestof thefarmsoonforgot their existence. Themystery of where the milkwent towas soonclearedup.It was mixed every day intothe pigs' mash. The earlyapples were now ripening,and the grass of the orchard

Page 124: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

was littered with windfalls.Theanimalshadassumedasamatter of course that thesewould be shared out equally;one day, however, the orderwent forth that all thewindfallsweretobecollectedand brought to the harness−roomfortheuseofthepigs.At this some of the otheranimalsmurmured,butitwasno use. All the pigs were infull agreement on this point,evenSnowballandNapoleon.

Page 125: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Squealerwassenttomakethenecessary explanations to theothers.

"Comrades!" he cried. "Youdo not imagine, I hope, thatwe pigs are doing this in aspirit of selfishness andprivilege? Many of usactually dislike milk andapples.Idislikethemmyself.Our sole object in takingthesethingsistopreserveourhealth.Milk and apples (this

Page 126: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

has been proved by Science,comrades)containsubstancesabsolutely necessary to thewell−beingofapig.Wepigsare brainworkers. The wholemanagementandorganisationof this farm depend on us.Day and night we arewatching over your welfare.It is for your sake that wedrink thatmilk and eat thoseapples. Do you know whatwould happen if we pigsfailed in our duty? Jones

Page 127: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

wouldcomeback!Yes,Joneswould come back! Surely,comrades," cried Squealeralmost pleadingly, skippingfrom side to side andwhisking his tail, "surelythere is no one among youwhowantstoseeJonescomeback?"

Now if there was one thingthat the animals werecompletely certain of, it wasthat they did not want Jones

Page 128: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

back. When it was put totheminthislight,theyhadnomore to say. The importanceof keeping the pigs in goodhealthwasalltooobvious.Soitwas agreedwithout furtherargument that the milk andthewindfall apples (and alsothemaincropofappleswhenthey ripened) should bereserved for the pigs alone.III

11

Page 129: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

AnimalFarm

IV

BY THE late summer thenews of what had happenedon Animal Farm had spreadacrosshalf thecounty.Everyday Snowball and Napoleonsent out flights of pigeonswhose instructions were tomingle with the animals onneighbouringfarms,tellthemthe story of the Rebellion,

Page 130: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

and teach them the tune ofBeastsofEngland.

Most of this time Mr. Joneshad spent sitting in thetaproom of the Red Lion atWillingdon, complaining toanyone who would listen ofthe monstrous injustice hehad suffered in being turnedoutofhispropertybyapackofgood−for−nothinganimals.The other farmerssympathised in principle, but

Page 131: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

theydidnot at firstgivehimmuch help.At heart, each ofthemwas secretlywonderingwhether he could notsomehow turn Jones'smisfortune to his ownadvantage. It was lucky thatthe owners of the two farmswhichadjoinedAnimalFarmwere on permanently badterms. One of them, whichwas named Foxwood, was alarge, neglected, old−fashioned farm, much

Page 132: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

overgrownbywoodland,withall its pastures worn out andits hedges in a disgracefulcondition. Its owner, Mr.Pilkington, was an easy−going gentleman farmerwhospentmostofhistimeinfishing or hunting accordingtotheseason.Theotherfarm,which was called Pinchfield,was smaller and better kept.Its owner was a Mr.Frederick, a tough, shrewdman, perpetually involved in

Page 133: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

lawsuitsandwithaname fordriving hard bargains. Thesetwo disliked each other somuch that itwasdifficult forthem to come to anyagreement,evenindefenceoftheirowninterests.

Nevertheless, theywere boththoroughly frightened by therebellion on Animal Farm,and very anxious to preventtheir own animals fromlearningtoomuchaboutit.At

Page 134: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

first they pretended to laughto scorn the idea of animalsmanaging a farm forthemselves. The whole thingwould be over in a fortnight,they said. They put it aboutthattheanimalsontheManorFarm(theyinsistedoncallingit the Manor Farm; theywould not tolerate the name"Animal Farm") wereperpetually fighting amongthemselves and were alsorapidly starving to death.

Page 135: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

When time passed and theanimals had evidently notstarved to death, Frederickand Pilkington changed theirtuneandbegan to talkof theterrible wickedness that nowflourishedonAnimalFarm.Itwas given out that theanimals there practisedcannibalism, tortured oneanother with red−hothorseshoes, and had theirfemalesincommon.Thiswaswhat came of rebelling

Page 136: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

against the laws of Nature,FrederickandPilkingtonsaid.

However, these stories werenever fully believed.Rumours of a wonderfulfarm, where the humanbeings had been turned outand the animals managedtheirownaffairs,continuedtocirculate in vague anddistorted forms, andthroughout that year a waveof rebelliousness ran through

Page 137: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

the countryside. Bulls whichhad always been tractablesuddenly turned savage,sheepbrokedownhedgesanddevoured the clover, cowskicked the pail over, huntersrefused their fences and shottheir riders on to the otherside.Above all, the tune andeven the words of Beasts ofEngland were knowneverywhere. It had spreadwith astonishing speed. Thehuman beings could not

Page 138: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

contain their rage when theyheard this song, though theypretended to think it merelyridiculous. They could notunderstand, they said, howeven animals could bringthemselves to sing suchcontemptible rubbish. Anyanimal caught singing it wasgiven a flogging on the spot.And yet the song wasirrepressible. The blackbirdswhistled it in the hedges, thepigeons cooed it in the elms,

Page 139: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

it got into the din of thesmithies and the tune of thechurch bells. And when thehuman beings listened to it,they secretly trembled,hearing in it a prophecy oftheirfuturedoom.

Early in October, when thecornwascutandstackedandsome of it was alreadythreshed, a flight of pigeonscamewhirlingthroughtheairand alighted in the yard of

Page 140: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Animal Farm in the wildestexcitement. Jones and all hismen,withhalfadozenothersfrom Foxwood andPinchfield, had entered thefive−barred gate and werecomingupthecart−trackthatledtothefarm.Theywereallcarrying sticks, except Jones,who was marching aheadwith a gun in his hands.Obviouslytheyweregoingtoattempt the recapture of thefarm.IV

Page 141: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

12

AnimalFarm

Thishad longbeenexpected,andallpreparationshadbeenmade. Snowball, who hadstudiedanoldbookof JuliusCaesar's campaignswhich hehad found in the farmhouse,was in charge of thedefensiveoperations.Hegavehis orders quickly, and in acouple of minutes every

Page 142: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

animalwasathispost.Asthehumanbeingsapproachedthefarm buildings, Snowballlaunched his first attack. Allthepigeons,tothenumberofthirty−five, flew to and froover the men's heads andmuted upon them from mid−air;andwhilethemenweredealing with this, the geese,who had been hiding behindthe hedge, rushed out andpeckedviciouslyatthecalvesof their legs. However, this

Page 143: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

was only a light skirmishingmanoeuvre,intendedtocreatea little disorder, and themeneasily drove the geese offwith their sticks. Snowballnowlaunchedhissecondlineof attack. Muriel, Benjamin,and all the sheep, withSnowballattheheadofthem,rushed forward and proddedand butted the men fromevery side, while Benjaminturned around and lashed atthem with his small hoofs.

Page 144: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Butonceagainthemen,withtheir sticks and theirhobnailed boots, were toostrong for them; andsuddenly, at a squeal fromSnowball, which was thesignal for retreat, all theanimals turned and fledthrough the gateway into theyard.

The men gave a shout oftriumph. They saw, as theyimagined, their enemies in

Page 145: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

flight, and they rushed afterthem in disorder. This wasjust what Snowball hadintended. As soon as theywerewellinsidetheyard,thethree horses, the three cows,and the rest of the pigs,whohad been lying in ambush inthe cowshed, suddenlyemerged in their rear, cuttingthemoff.Snowballnowgavethe signal for the charge.Hehimself dashed straight forJones.Jonessawhimcoming,

Page 146: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

raised his gun and fired.Thepellets scored bloody streaksalongSnowball's back, and asheepdroppeddead.Withouthalting for an instant,Snowball flung his fifteenstone against Jones's legs.Jones was hurled into a pileofdungandhisgunflewoutof his hands. But the mostterrifyingspectacleofallwasBoxer,rearinguponhishindlegsandstrikingoutwithhisgreat iron−shod hoofs like a

Page 147: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

stallion. His very first blowtook a stable−lad fromFoxwood on the skull andstretched him lifeless in themud. At the sight, severalmen dropped their sticks andtried to run. Panic overtookthem, and the next momentall the animals togetherwerechasing them round andround the yard. They weregored, kicked, bitten,trampled on. There was notananimalonthefarmthatdid

Page 148: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

not take vengeance on themafter his own fashion. Eventhe cat suddenly leapt off aroof onto a cowman'sshouldersandsankherclawsin his neck, at which heyelledhorribly.Atamomentwhen the opening was clear,themenweregladenough torushoutoftheyardandmakeaboltforthemainroad.Andsowithinfiveminutesoftheirinvasion they were inignominious retreat by the

Page 149: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

sameway as they had come,with a flock of geese hissingafter them and pecking attheircalvesalltheway.

Allthemenweregoneexceptone. Back in the yard Boxerwas pawing with his hoof atthe stable−lad who lay facedown in the mud, trying toturn him over. The boy didnotstir.

"He is dead," said Boxer

Page 150: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

sorrowfully. "I had nointention of doing that. IforgotthatIwaswearingironshoes.WhowillbelievethatIdidnotdothisonpurpose?"

"No sentimentality,comrade!" cried Snowballfrom whose wounds thebloodwasstilldripping."Wariswar.Theonlygoodhumanbeingisadeadone."

"I have no wish to take life,

Page 151: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

not even human life,"repeatedBoxer, and his eyeswerefulloftears.

"Where is Mollie?"exclaimedsomebody.

Mollie in fact was missing.Foramomenttherewasgreatalarm; it was feared that themen might have harmed herin someway,orevencarriedheroffwiththem.Intheend,however, she was found

Page 152: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

hiding in her stall with herheadburiedamongthehayinthemanger.Shehadtakentoflightassoonasthegunwentoff. And when the otherscame back from looking forher, it was to find that thestable−lad, who in fact wasonly stunned, had alreadyrecoveredandmadeoff.

IV

13

Page 153: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

AnimalFarm

The animals had nowreassembled in the wildestexcitement, each recountinghisownexploits in thebattleat the top of his voice. Animpromptu celebration of thevictory was heldimmediately. The flag wasrunupandBeastsofEnglandwas sung a number of times,then the sheepwhohadbeenkilled was given a solemn

Page 154: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

funeral, a hawthorn bushbeing planted on her grave.At the graveside Snowballmade a little speech,emphasising the need for allanimalstobereadytodieforAnimalFarmifneedbe.Theanimalsdecidedunanimouslyto create a militarydecoration, "Animal Hero,First Class," which wasconferred there and then onSnowball and Boxer. Itconsisted of a brass medal

Page 155: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

(they were really some oldhorse−brasses which hadbeen found in the harness−room), to be worn onSundays and holidays. Therewas also "Animal Hero,Second Class," which wasconferred posthumously onthe dead sheep. There wasmuch discussion as to whatthebattleshouldbecalled.Inthe end, it was named theBattle of theCowshed, sincethat was where the ambush

Page 156: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

hadbeen sprung.Mr. Jones'sgun had been found lying inthe mud, and it was knownthat there was a supply ofcartridgesinthefarmhouse.Itwasdecidedtosetthegunupat the foot of the Flagstaff,likeapieceofartillery,andtofire it twice a year−once onOctober the twelfth, theanniversary of the Battle ofthe Cowshed, and once onMidsummer Day, theanniversary of theRebellion.

Page 157: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

V

ASWINTERdrewon,Molliebecame more and moretroublesome.Shewaslateforwork every morning andexcusedherselfbysayingthatshe had overslept, and shecomplained of mysteriouspains, although her appetitewasexcellent.Oneverykindof pretext she would runawayfromworkandgotothedrinking pool, where she

Page 158: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

would stand foolishly gazingat her own reflection in thewater. But there were alsorumours of something moreserious. One day, as Molliestrolledblithelyintotheyard,flirting her long tail andchewing at a stalk of hay,Clovertookheraside.

"Mollie," she said, "I havesomethingveryserioustosayto you. This morning I sawyou looking over the hedge

Page 159: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

that divides Animal Farmfrom Foxwood. One of Mr.Pilkington's men wasstanding on the other side ofthehedge.And−Iwasa longway away, but I am almostcertain I saw this−he wastalking to you and you wereallowing him to stroke yournose. What does that mean,Mollie?"

"He didn't! I wasn't! It isn'ttrue!"criedMollie,beginning

Page 160: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

to prance about and paw theground.

"Mollie!Lookmeintheface.Doyougivemeyourwordofhonourthat thatmanwasnotstrokingyournose?"

"It isn't true!" repeatedMollie,butshecouldnotlookClover in the face, and thenextmoment she took to herheelsandgallopedaway intothefield.

Page 161: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

A thought struck Clover.Without saying anything tothe others, she went toMollie'sstalland turnedoverthe straw with her hoof.Hiddenunderthestrawwasalittle pile of lump sugar andseveral bunches of ribbon ofdifferentcolours.

Three days later Molliedisappeared.Forsomeweeksnothing was known of herwhereabouts, then the

Page 162: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

pigeons reported that theyhadseenherontheothersideof Willingdon. She wasbetweentheshaftsofasmartdogcartpaintedredandblack,whichwasstandingoutsideapublic−house. A fat red−facedmanincheckbreechesandgaiters,wholookedlikeapublican, was stroking hernose and feeding her withsugar. Her coat was newlyclippedandsheworeascarletribbon round her forelock.

Page 163: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

She appeared to be enjoyingherself, so the pigeons said.None of the animals evermentionedMollieagain.V

14

AnimalFarm

InJanuarytherecamebitterlyhard weather. The earth waslike iron, and nothing couldbe done in the fields. Manymeetingswereheldinthebig

Page 164: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

barn, and the pigs occupiedthemselveswithplanningoutthe work of the comingseason. It had come to beaccepted that the pigs, whoweremanifestlyclevererthanthe other animals, shoulddecide all questions of farmpolicy,thoughtheirdecisionshad to be ratified by amajority vote. Thisarrangement would haveworkedwell enough if ithadnot been for the disputes

Page 165: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

between Snowball andNapoleon. These twodisagreed at every pointwhere disagreement waspossible. If one of themsuggested sowing a biggeracreagewithbarley,theotherwas certain to demand abiggeracreageofoats,andifone of them said that suchandsuchafieldwasjustrightforcabbages,theotherwoulddeclarethatitwasuselessforanything except roots. Each

Page 166: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

had his own following, andthere were some violentdebates. At the MeetingsSnowball oftenwon over themajority by his brilliantspeeches, but Napoleon wasbetter at canvassing supportforhimself inbetween times.He was especially successfulwith the sheep. Of late thesheep had taken to bleating"Four legs good, two legsbad" both in and out ofseason, and they often

Page 167: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

interrupted the Meeting withthis. It was noticed that theywere especially liable tobreak into "Four legs good,two legs bad" at crucialmoments in Snowball'sspeeches.Snowballhadmadea close study of some backnumbers of the Farmer andStockbreeder which he hadfound in the farmhouse, andwas full of plans forinnovations andimprovements. He talked

Page 168: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

learnedly about field drains,silage,andbasicslag,andhadworked out a complicatedscheme forall theanimals todroptheirdungdirectlyinthefields, at a different spoteveryday, to save the labourof cartage. Napoleonproduced no schemes of hisown, but said quietly thatSnowball's would come tonothing, and seemed to bebiding his time. But of alltheir controversies, nonewas

Page 169: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

so bitter as the one that tookplaceoverthewindmill.

In the long pasture, not farfromthefarmbuildings,therewas a small knollwhichwasthehighestpointonthefarm.After surveying the ground,Snowball declared that thiswas just the place for awindmill, which could bemade to operate a dynamoand supply the farm withelectrical power. This would

Page 170: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

lightthestallsandwarmtheminwinter,andwouldalsorunacircularsaw,achaff−cutter,a mangel−slicer, and anelectricmilkingmachine.Theanimals had never heard ofanything of this kind before(for the farm was an old−fashionedone andhadonlythe most primitivemachinery),andtheylistenedin astonishment whileSnowball conjured uppicturesoffantasticmachines

Page 171: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

which would do their workforthemwhiletheygrazedattheir ease in the fields orimproved their minds withreading and conversation.Within a few weeksSnowball's plans for thewindmill were fully workedout. The mechanical detailscame mostly from threebookswhichhadbelongedtoMr. Jones One ThousandUseful Things to Do Aboutthe House, Every Man His

Page 172: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Own Bricklayer, andElectricity for Beginners.Snowball used ashis studyashed which had once beenusedforincubatorsandhadasmooth wooden floor,suitable for drawing on. Hewas closeted there for hoursatatime.Withhisbooksheldopen by a stone, and with apiece of chalk grippedbetween the knuckles of histrotter, he would moverapidlytoandfro,drawingin

Page 173: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

line after line and utteringlittlewhimpersofexcitement.Graduallytheplansgrewintoacomplicatedmassofcranksand cog−wheels, coveringmore than half the floor,which the other animalsfound completelyunintelligible but veryimpressive.Allofthemcameto look at Snowball'sdrawings at least once aday.Even the hens and duckscame, and were at pains not

Page 174: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

to tread on the chalk marks.OnlyNapoleonheldaloof.Hehad declared himself againstthe windmill from the start.Oneday,however,hearrivedunexpectedly to examine theplans. He walked heavilyround the shed, lookedclosely at every detail of theplans and snuffed at themonce or twice, then stood fora little while contemplatingthemoutof thecornerofhiseye; then suddenly he lifted

Page 175: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

his leg, urinated over theplans,andwalkedoutwithoututteringaword.

The whole farm was deeplydivided on the subject of thewindmill. Snowball did notdenythattobuilditwouldbea difficult business. Stonewouldhave tobecarriedandbuilt up into walls, then thesails would have to bemadeandafter that therewouldbeneedfordynamosandcables.

Page 176: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

(How these were to beprocured, Snowball did notsay.)Buthemaintainedthatitcould all be done in a year.And thereafter, he declared,so much labour would besaved that theanimalswouldonlyneed towork threedaysa week. Napoleon, on theother hand, argued that thegreatneedofthemomentwasto increase food production,andthatiftheywastedV

Page 177: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

15

AnimalFarm

time on the windmill theywouldallstarvetodeath.Theanimals formed themselvesinto two factions under theslogan, "Vote for Snowballand the three−dayweek"and"Vote for Napoleon and thefull manger." Benjamin wasthe only animal who did notside with either faction. He

Page 178: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

refused to believe either thatfood would become moreplentiful or that thewindmillwould save work. Windmillor no windmill, he said, lifewouldgoonasithadalwaysgoneon−thatis,badly.

Apart from the disputes overthe windmill, there was thequestionofthedefenceofthefarm.ItwasfullyrealisedthatthoughthehumanbeingshadbeendefeatedintheBattleof

Page 179: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

the Cowshed they mightmake another and moredetermined attempt torecapture the farm andreinstateMr.Jones.Theyhadall themorereasonfordoingso because the news of theirdefeat had spread across thecountryside and made theanimals on the neighbouringfarmsmorerestive thanever.As usual, Snowball andNapoleon were indisagreement. According to

Page 180: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Napoleon, what the animalsmust do was to procurefirearmsand train themselvesintheuseofthem.Accordingto Snowball, they must sendout more and more pigeonsand stir up rebellion amongthe animals on the otherfarms.Theonearguedthat ifthey could not defendthemselves they were boundto be conquered, the otherargued that if rebellionshappened everywhere they

Page 181: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

wouldhavenoneedtodefendthemselves. The animalslistened first to Napoleon,then to Snowball, and couldnot make up their mindswhichwasright;indeed,theyalways found themselves inagreement with the one whowasspeakingatthemoment.

At last the day came whenSnowball's plans werecompleted.AttheMeetingonthe following Sunday the

Page 182: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

questionofwhetherornot tobegin work on the windmillwas to be put to the vote.When the animals hadassembled in the big barn,Snowball stood up and,though occasionallyinterrupted by bleating fromthe sheep, set forth hisreasons for advocating thebuilding of the windmill.Then Napoleon stood up toreply. He said very quietlythat the windmill was

Page 183: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

nonsenseand thatheadvisednobody to vote for it, andpromptly sat down again; hehad spoken for barely thirtyseconds, and seemed almostindifferentas to theeffectheproduced. At this Snowballsprang to his feet, andshouting down the sheep,who had begun bleatingagain,brokeintoapassionateappeal in favour of thewindmill. Until now theanimals had been about

Page 184: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

equally divided in theirsympathies, but in amomentSnowball's eloquence hadcarried them away. Inglowing sentenceshepaintedapictureofAnimalFarmasitmight bewhen sordid labourwasliftedfromtheanimals'

backs. His imagination hadnow run far beyond chaff−cutters and turnip−slicers.Electricity, he said, couldoperate threshing machines,

Page 185: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

ploughs,harrows,rollers,andreapers and binders, besidessupplying every stallwith itsown electric light, hot andcold water, and an electricheater. By the time he hadfinished speaking, there wasnodoubtastowhichwaythevotewouldgo.Butjustatthismoment Napoleon stood upand, casting a peculiarsidelong look at Snowball,uttered a high−pitchedwhimperofakindnoonehad

Page 186: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

everheardhimutterbefore.

At this there was a terriblebaying sound outside, andnine enormous dogs wearingbrass−studded collars camebounding into thebarn.Theydashed straight forSnowball,who only sprang from hisplace just in time to escapetheir snapping jaws. In amoment he was out of thedoorandtheywereafterhim.Tooamazedandfrightenedto

Page 187: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

speak, all the animalscrowded through the door towatch the chase. Snowballwas racing across the longpasture that led to the road.Hewasrunningasonlyapigcan run, but the dogs wereclose on his heels. Suddenlyhe slipped and it seemedcertain that they had him.Then he was up again,runningfaster thanever, thenthedogsweregainingonhimagain. One of them all but

Page 188: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

closedhisjawsonSnowball'stail, but Snowballwhisked itfreejustintime.Thenheputonanextra spurt and,withafew inches to spare, slippedthrough a hole in the hedgeandwasseennomore.

Silent and terrified, theanimals crept back into thebarn. In a moment the dogscameboundingback.At firstno one had been able toimaginewherethesecreatures

Page 189: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

came from, but the problemwas soon solved: they werethe puppies whom Napoleonhad taken away from theirmothers and rearedprivately.Though not yet full−grown,theywere huge dogs, and asfierce−looking as wolves.TheykeptclosetoNapoleon.It was noticed that theywagged their tails to him inthe same way as the otherdogs had been used to do toMr.V

Page 190: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

16

AnimalFarm

Jones.

Napoleon, with the dogsfollowing him, nowmountedontotheraisedportionofthefloor where Major hadpreviously stood to deliverhis speech. He announcedthatfromnowontheSunday−morning Meetings would

Page 191: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

come to an end. They wereunnecessary, he said, andwasted time. In future allquestions relating to theworkingofthefarmwouldbesettledbyaspecialcommitteeof pigs, presided over byhimself.Thesewouldmeetinprivate and afterwardscommunicate their decisionsto the others. The animalswould still assemble onSunday mornings to salutethe flag, sing Beasts of

Page 192: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

England , and receive theirordersfortheweek;buttherewouldbenomoredebates.

In spite of the shock thatSnowball's expulsion hadgiventhem,theanimalsweredismayed by thisannouncement. Several ofthemwouldhaveprotested ifthey could have found theright arguments. Even Boxerwasvaguely troubled.He sethis ears back, shook his

Page 193: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

forelock several times, andtried hard to marshal histhoughts; but in the end hecouldnotthinkofanythingtosay. Some of the pigsthemselves, however, weremore articulate. Four youngporkers in the front rowuttered shrill squeals ofdisapproval, and all four ofthemsprang to their feet andbegan speaking at once. Butsuddenly the dogs sittingroundNapoleon letoutdeep,

Page 194: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

menacing growls, and thepigs fell silent and sat downagain. Then the sheep brokeout into a tremendousbleating of "Four legs good,twolegsbad!"whichwentonfornearlyaquarterofanhourandputanendtoanychanceofdiscussion.

AfterwardsSquealerwassentroundthefarmtoexplainthenew arrangement to theothers.

Page 195: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

"Comrades," he said, "I trustthat every animal hereappreciates the sacrifice thatComradeNapoleonhasmadein taking this extra labourupon himself. Do notimagine, comrades, thatleadership is a pleasure! Onthe contrary, it is a deep andheavy responsibility. No onebelieves more firmly thanComrade Napoleon that allanimals are equal. He wouldbe only too happy to let you

Page 196: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

make your decisions foryourselves. But sometimesyou might make the wrongdecisions,comrades,andthenwhereshouldwebe?Supposeyou had decided to followSnowball, with hismoonshine of windmills−Snowball, who, as we nowknow, was no better than acriminal?"

"He fought bravely at theBattle of the Cowshed," said

Page 197: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

somebody.

"Braveryisnotenough,"saidSquealer. "Loyalty andobedience are moreimportant. And as to theBattle of the Cowshed, Ibelieve the time will comewhen we shall find thatSnowball's part in it wasmuch exaggerated.Discipline, comrades, irondiscipline! That is thewatchword for today. One

Page 198: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

false step, and our enemieswould be upon us. Surely,comrades, you do not wantJonesback?"Onceagain thisargument was unanswerable.Certainly theanimalsdidnotwant Jones back; if theholdingofdebatesonSundaymornings was liable to bringhim back, then the debatesmust stop. Boxer, who hadnowhad time to think thingsover, voiced the generalfeeling by saying: "If

Page 199: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

ComradeNapoleonsays it, itmustberight."Andfromthenon he adopted the maxim,"Napoleonisalwaysright,"inaddition to his private mottoof"Iwillworkharder."

By this time theweatherhadbroken and the springploughing had begun. Theshed where Snowball haddrawn his plans of thewindmill had been shut upand it was assumed that the

Page 200: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

planshadbeenrubbedoffthefloor.EverySundaymorningat ten o'clock the animalsassembled in the big barn toreceive their orders for theweek.TheskullofoldMajor,now clean of flesh, had beendisinterred from the orchardand set up on a stump at thefoot of the flagstaff, besidethegun.After thehoistingofthe flag, the animals wererequired to filepast the skullin a reverent manner before

Page 201: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

entering the barn. Nowadaystheydidnotsitalltogetherasthey had done in the past.Napoleon,with Squealer andanother pig namedMinimus,whohadaremarkablegiftforcomposing songsandpoems,sat on the front of the raisedplatform,withthenineyoungdogsformingaV

17

AnimalFarm

Page 202: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

semicircle round them, andthe other pigs sitting behind.The rest of the animals satfacingtheminthemainbodyof the barn. Napoleon readouttheordersfortheweekina gruff soldierly style, andafter a single singing ofBeasts of England, all theanimalsdispersed.

On the third Sunday afterSnowball's expulsion, theanimals were somewhat

Page 203: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

surprised to hear Napoleonannounce that the windmillwas to be built after all. Hedid not give any reason forhavingchangedhismind,butmerely warned the animalsthat this extra task wouldmean very hard work, itmight even be necessary toreduce their rations. Theplans, however, had all beenprepared, down to the lastdetail.Aspecialcommitteeofpigs had been at work upon

Page 204: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

themforthepastthreeweeks.Thebuildingofthewindmill,with various otherimprovements, was expectedtotaketwoyears.

That evening Squealerexplained privately to theother animals that Napoleonhad never in reality beenopposed to the windmill. Onthe contrary, it was he whohad advocated it in thebeginning,andtheplanwhich

Page 205: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Snowball had drawn on thefloor of the incubator shedhadactuallybeenstolenfromamong Napoleon's papers.The windmill was, in fact,Napoleon's own creation.Why, then, asked somebody,had he spoken so stronglyagainst it? Here Squealerlookedverysly.That,hesaid,was Comrade Napoleon'scunning. He had seemed tooppose the windmill, simplyas amanoeuvre to get rid of

Page 206: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Snowball, who was adangerous character and abad influence. Now thatSnowballwasoutoftheway,the plan could go forwardwithouthisinterference.This,saidSquealer,wassomethingcalled tactics. He repeated anumberoftimes,

"Tactics, comrades, tactics!"skipping round andwhiskinghis tail with a merry laugh.Theanimalswerenotcertain

Page 207: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

what the word meant, butSquealer spoke sopersuasively, and the threedogs who happened to bewith him growled sothreateningly, that theyaccepted his explanationwithoutfurtherquestions.VI

ALL that year the animalsworked like slaves. But theywere happy in their work;they grudged no effort orsacrifice, well aware that

Page 208: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

everything that they did wasfor the benefit of themselvesand those of their kind whowould come after them, andnot for a pack of idle,thieving human beings.Throughout the spring andsummer they worked a sixty−hour week, and in AugustNapoleon announced thatthere would be work onSunday afternoons as well.This work was strictlyvoluntary, but any animal

Page 209: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

whoabsentedhimselffromitwould have his rationsreduced by half. Even so, itwasfoundnecessary to leavecertain tasks undone. Theharvest was a little lesssuccessful than in thepreviousyear, and two fieldswhichshouldhavebeensownwith roots in the earlysummer were not sownbecause the ploughing hadnot been completed earlyenough. It was possible to

Page 210: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

foresee that the comingwinter would be a hard one.The windmill presentedunexpecteddifficulties.Therewas a good quarry oflimestone on the farm, andplenty of sand and cementhadbeen found inoneof theouthouses, so that all thematerialsforbuildingwereathand. But the problem theanimals could not at firstsolve was how to break upthe stone into pieces of

Page 211: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

suitable size. There seemedno way of doing this exceptwith picks and crowbars,which no animal could use,because no animal couldstand on his hind legs. Onlyafterweeksofvaineffortdidthe right idea occur tosomebody−namely, to utilisethe force of gravity. Hugeboulders, far too big to beusedastheywere,werelyingalloverthebedofthequarry.The animals lashed ropes

Page 212: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

round these, and then alltogether,cows,horses,sheep,any animal that could layhold of the rope−even thepigs sometimes joined in atcritical moments−theydragged them with desperateslowness up the slope to thetopof thequarry,wheretheywere toppled over the edge,to shatter to pieces below.Transporting the stone whenit was once broken wascomparatively simple. The

Page 213: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

horses carried it off in cart−loads, the sheep draggedsingle blocks, even Murieland Benjamin yokedthemselves into an oldgoverness−cart and did theirshare. By late summer asufficient store of stone hadaccumulated, and then thebuilding began, under thesuperintendence of the pigs.VI

18

Page 214: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

AnimalFarm

But it was a slow, laboriousprocess. Frequently it took awhole day of exhaustingefforttodragasingleboulderto the top of the quarry, andsometimes when it waspushedovertheedgeitfailedtobreak.NothingcouldhavebeenachievedwithoutBoxer,whose strength seemed equalto that of all the rest of theanimals put together. When

Page 215: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

theboulderbegan toslipandthe animals cried out indespair at finding themselvesdraggeddownthehill, itwasalways Boxer who strainedhimself against the rope andbroughtthebouldertoastop.To see him toiling up theslopeinchbyinch,hisbreathcoming fast, the tips of hishoofs clawing at the ground,and his great sides mattedwith sweat, filled everyonewith admiration. Clover

Page 216: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

warned him sometimes to becareful not to overstrainhimself, but Boxer wouldnever listen to her. His twoslogans, "Iwillworkharder"and "Napoleon is alwaysright," seemed to him asufficient answer to allproblems. He had madearrangements with thecockerel to call him three−quartersofanhourearlierinthe mornings instead of halfan hour. And in his spare

Page 217: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

moments, of which therewerenotmanynowadays,hewouldgoalonetothequarry,collectaloadofbrokenstone,anddragitdowntothesiteofthe windmill unassisted. Theanimals were not badly offthroughout that summer, inspite of the hardness of theirwork. If they had no morefood than they had had inJones's day, at least they didnot have less. The advantageof only having to feed

Page 218: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

themselves,andnothavingtosupport five extravaganthumanbeingsaswell,wassogreatthatitwouldhavetakena lot of failures to outweighit. And in many ways theanimal method of doingthingswasmoreefficientandsaved labour. Such jobs asweeding, for instance, couldbe done with a thoroughnessimpossible to human beings.And again, since no animalnowstole,itwasunnecessary

Page 219: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

to fence off pasture fromarableland,whichsavedalotof labour on the upkeep ofhedges and gates.Nevertheless, as the summerwore on, various unforeseenshortages began to makethem selves felt. There wasneed of paraffin oil, nails,string, dog biscuits, and ironfor thehorses'shoes,noneofwhich could be produced onthe farm. Later there wouldalso be need for seeds and

Page 220: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

artificial manures, besidesvarious toolsand, finally, themachinery for the windmill.How these were to beprocured,noonewas able toimagine.

One Sunday morning, whenthe animals assembled toreceive their orders,Napoleon announced that hehad decided upon a newpolicy. From now onwardsAnimal Farm would engage

Page 221: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

in trade with theneighbouring farms: not, ofcourse, for any commercialpurpose, but simply in orderto obtain certain materialswhich were urgentlynecessary. The needs of thewindmill must overrideeverything else, he said. Hewas therefore makingarrangements to sell a stackofhayandpartofthecurrentyear's wheat crop, and lateron, if more money were

Page 222: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

needed, it would have to bemadeupby the saleof eggs,forwhichtherewasalwaysamarket in Willingdon. Thehens, said Napoleon, shouldwelcomethissacrificeastheirown special contributiontowards the building of thewindmill.

Once again the animalswereconscious of a vagueuneasiness.Nevertohaveanydealings with human beings,

Page 223: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

never to engage in trade,never tomake use ofmoney−had not these been amongtheearliestresolutionspassedat that first triumphantMeeting after Jones wasexpelled? All the animalsremembered passing suchresolutions: or at least theythoughtthattheyrememberedit. The four young pigs whohadprotestedwhenNapoleonabolishedtheMeetingsraisedtheir voices timidly, but they

Page 224: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

were promptly silenced by atremendous growling fromthe dogs. Then, as usual, thesheep broke into "Four legsgood, two legsbad!" and themomentaryawkwardnesswassmoothed over. FinallyNapoleonraisedhistrotterforsilenceandannouncedthathehad already made all thearrangements. There wouldbe no need for any of theanimals to come in contactwith human beings, which

Page 225: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

would clearly be mostundesirable. He intended totake the whole burden uponhis own shoulders. A Mr.Whymper,asolicitorlivinginWillingdon,hadagreedtoactas intermediary betweenAnimalFarmand theoutsideworld, and would visit thefarm everyMondaymorningto receive his instructions.Napoleon ended his speechwith his usual cry of "LongliveAnimalFarm!"andafter

Page 226: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

the singing of Beasts ofEngland the animals weredismissed. AfterwardsSquealermadearoundofthefarm and set the animals'minds at rest. He assuredthem that the resolutionagainstengagingintradeandusingmoney had never beenpassed, or even suggested. Itwas pure imagination,probably traceable in thebeginning to lies circulatedby Snowball. A few animals

Page 227: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

stillfeltVI

19

AnimalFarm

faintlydoubtful,butSquealerasked them shrewdly, "Areyou certain that this is notsomething that you havedreamed, comrades? Haveyou any record of such aresolution?Isitwrittendownanywhere?"Andsince itwas

Page 228: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

certainly true that nothing ofthe kind existed in writing,the animals were satisfiedthattheyhadbeenmistaken.

EveryMondayMr.Whympervisited the farm as had beenarranged. He was a sly−looking littlemanwith sidewhiskers,asolicitorinaverysmall way of business, butsharpenoughtohaverealisedearlier than anyone else thatAnimal Farm would need a

Page 229: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

broker and that thecommissionswouldbeworthhaving.Theanimalswatchedhis coming and goingwith akind of dread, and avoidedhim as much as possible.Nevertheless, the sight ofNapoleon, on all fours,delivering orders toWhymper,whostoodon twolegs, roused their pride andpartly reconciled them to thenew arrangement. Theirrelationswiththehumanrace

Page 230: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

werenownotquite the sameas theyhadbeenbefore.Thehuman beings did not hateAnimal Farm any less nowthatitwasprospering;indeed,they hated itmore than ever.Everyhumanbeinghelditasan article of faith that thefarm would go bankruptsooner or later, and, aboveall, that the windmill wouldbeafailure.Theywouldmeetin the public−houses andprove to one another by

Page 231: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

means of diagrams that thewindmill was bound to falldown, or that if it did standup, then that it would neverwork. And yet, against theirwill, they had developed acertain respect for theefficiency with which theanimals weremanaging theirownaffairs.Onesymptomofthiswas that they had begunto call Animal Farm by itsproper name and ceased topretend that itwas called the

Page 232: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Manor Farm. They had alsodropped their championshipof Jones, who had given uphopeofgettinghisfarmbackand gone to live in anotherpart of the county. ExceptthroughWhymper, therewasas yet no contact betweenAnimalFarmand theoutsideworld, but there wereconstant rumours thatNapoleonwas about to enterinto a definite businessagreement either with Mr.

Page 233: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Pilkington of Foxwood orwith Mr. Frederick ofPinchfield−but never, it wasnoticed, with bothsimultaneously. It was aboutthis time that the pigssuddenly moved into thefarmhouse and took up theirresidence there. Again theanimals seemed to rememberthat a resolution against thishad been passed in the earlydays,andagainSquealerwasable to convince them that

Page 234: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

this was not the case. It wasabsolutelynecessary,hesaid,that the pigs, who were thebrains of the farm, shouldhaveaquietplacetoworkin.Itwasalsomoresuitedtothedignity of the Leader (for oflatehehad taken tospeakingofNapoleonunderthetitleof"Leader") to live in a housethan in a mere sty.Nevertheless, some of theanimalswere disturbedwhenthey heard that the pigs not

Page 235: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

only took their meals in thekitchenandusedthedrawing−room as a recreation room,but also slept in the beds.Boxer passed it off as usualwith "Napoleon is alwaysright!", but Clover, whothought she remembered adefinite ruling against beds,went to the end of the barnand tried to puzzle out theSevenCommandmentswhichwere inscribed there.Findingherself unable to read more

Page 236: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

than individual letters, shefetchedMuriel.

"Muriel," she said, "read methe Fourth Commandment.Does it not say somethingabout never sleeping in abed?"

With some difficulty Murielspeltitout.

"It says, 'No animal shallsleep in a bedwith sheets ,"'

Page 237: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

she announced finally.Curiouslyenough,Cloverhadnot remembered that theFourth Commandmentmentioned sheets; but as itwasthereonthewall,itmusthave done so. And Squealer,who happened to be passingat this moment, attended bytwoorthreedogs,wasabletoput the whole matter in itsproperperspective.

"You have heard then,

Page 238: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

comrades," he said, "that wepigsnowsleepinthebedsofthefarmhouse?Andwhynot?You did not suppose, surely,that there was ever a rulingagainst beds? A bed merelymeans a place to sleep in.Apile of straw in a stall is abed, properly regarded. Therulewasagainstsheets,whichare a human invention. Wehaveremovedthesheetsfromthefarmhousebeds,andsleepbetween blankets. And very

Page 239: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

comfortable beds they aretoo! But not morecomfortable than we need, Ican tell you, comrades, withalltheVI

20

AnimalFarm

brainwork we have to donowadays.Youwouldnotrobus of our repose,would you,comrades? You would not

Page 240: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

haveus too tired tocarryoutour duties? Surely none ofyou wishes to see Jonesback?"Theanimalsreassuredhim on this pointimmediately, and no morewas said about the pigssleeping in the farmhousebeds. And when, some daysafterwards, itwas announcedthat from now on the pigswouldgetupanhour later inthe mornings than the otheranimals, no complaint was

Page 241: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

madeaboutthateither.Bytheautumn the animals weretiredbuthappy.Theyhadhadahardyear,andafterthesaleof part of the hay and corn,the stores of food for thewinter were none tooplentiful, but the windmillcompensated for everything.Itwas almost half built now.After theharvest therewas astretch of clear dry weather,and theanimals toiledharderthan ever, thinking it well

Page 242: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

worthwhiletoplodtoandfroalldaywithblocksofstoneifby doing so they could raisethewalls another foot.Boxerwould even come out atnights and work for an hourortwoonhisownbythelightof the harvestmoon. In theirspare moments the animalswouldwalk round and roundthe half−finished mill,admiring the strength andperpendicularity of its wallsand marvelling that they

Page 243: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

shouldeverhavebeenabletobuild anything so imposing.OnlyoldBenjaminrefusedtogrow enthusiastic about thewindmill,though,asusual,hewould utter nothing beyondthe cryptic remark thatdonkeyslivealongtime.

November came,with ragingsouth−west winds. Buildinghad to stop because it wasnow too wet to mix thecement. Finally there came a

Page 244: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

night when the gale was soviolent that the farmbuildings rocked on theirfoundations and several tileswereblownofftheroofofthebarn. The hens woke upsquawking with terrorbecausetheyhadalldreamedsimultaneously of hearing agungooff in thedistance.Inthemorningtheanimalscameoutof their stalls to find thatthe flagstaff had been blowndown and an elm tree at the

Page 245: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

foot of the orchard had beenplucked up like a radish.They had just noticed thiswhen a cry of despair brokefromeveryanimal'sthroat.Aterrible sight had met theireyes. The windmill was inruins. With one accord theydashed down to the spot.Napoleon, who seldommoved out of a walk, racedaheadof themall.Yes, thereit lay, the fruit of all theirstruggles, levelled to its

Page 246: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

foundations, the stones theyhad broken and carried solaboriously scattered allaround. Unable at first tospeak, they stood gazingmournfully at the litter offallen stone Napoleon pacedto and fro in silence,occasionally snuffing at theground. His tail had grownrigid and twitched sharplyfrom side to side, a sign inhim of intense mentalactivity. Suddenly he halted

Page 247: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

as though his mind weremadeup.

"Comrades," he said quietly,"do you know who isresponsible for this? Do youknow the enemy who hascome in the night andoverthrown our windmill?SNOWBALL!" he suddenlyroaredinavoiceofthunder.

"Snowball has done thisthing! In sheer malignity,

Page 248: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

thinkingtosetbackourplansand avenge himself for hisignominious expulsion, thistraitor has crept here undercover of night and destroyedour work of nearly a year.Comrades, here and now Ipronounce thedeathsentenceupon Snowball. 'AnimalHero,SecondClass,'

andhalfabushelofapplestoanyanimalwhobringshimtojustice. A full bushel to

Page 249: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

anyone who captures himalive!"

The animals were shockedbeyondmeasure to learn thateven Snowball could beguilty of such an action.There was a cry ofindignation, and everyonebegan thinking out ways ofcatching Snowball if heshould ever come back.Almost immediately thefootprints of a pig were

Page 250: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

discovered in the grass at alittle distance from theknoll.Theycouldonlybetracedfora few yards, but appeared tolead to a hole in the hedge.Napoleon snuffed deeply atthemandpronouncedthemtobe Snowball's. He gave it ashisopinionthatSnowballhadprobably come from thedirectionofFoxwoodFarm.

"Nomoredelays,comrades!"cried Napoleon when the

Page 251: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

footprints had beenexamined. "There is work tobe done. This very morningwe begin rebuilding thewindmill, and we will buildallthroughthewinter,rainorshine. We will teach thismiserable traitor that hecannot undo our work soeasily. Remember, comrades,VI

21

Page 252: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

AnimalFarm

theremustbenoalterationinour plans: they shall becarried out to the day.Forward, comrades! Longlive the windmill! Long liveAnimalFarm!"

VII

ITWAS a bitterwinter. Thestormyweatherwasfollowedby sleet and snow, and then

Page 253: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

byahardfrostwhichdidnotbreak till well into February.The animals carried on asbest they could with therebuilding of the windmill,wellknowingthattheoutsideworldwaswatchingthemandthat the envious humanbeings would rejoice andtriumph if the mill were notfinishedontime.

Out of spite, the humanbeings pretended not to

Page 254: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

believe that it was Snowballwho had destroyer thewindmill:theysaidthatithadfallendownbecausethewallswere too thin. The animalsknew that this was not thecase. Still, it had beendecided to build the wallsthree feet thick this timeinstead of eighteen inches asbefore, which meantcollecting much largerquantitiesofstone.Foralongi.ne the quarry was full of

Page 255: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

snowdrifts and nothing couldbe done. Some progress wasmade in the dry frostyweather that followed, but itwas cruel work, and theanimals could not feel sohopeful about it as they hadfeltbefore.Theywerealwayscold, and usually hungry aswell.OnlyBoxer andClovernever lost heart. Squealermade excellent speeches onthe joy of service and thedignity of labour, but the

Page 256: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

other animals found moreinspirationinBoxer'sstrengthand his never−failing cry of"Iwillworkharder!"

In January food fell short.The corn ration wasdrastically reduced, and itwas announced that an extrapotatorationwouldbeissuedtomakeupforit.Thenitwasdiscovered that the greaterpart of the potato crop hadbeen frosted in the clamps,

Page 257: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

which had not been coveredthickly enough. The potatoeshad become soft anddiscoloured, and only a fewwere edible. For days at atime theanimalshadnothingtoeatbutchaffandmangels.Starvation seemed to starethemintheface.

It was vitally necessary toconceal this fact from theoutside world. Emboldenedby the collapse of the

Page 258: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

windmill, the human beingswere inventing fresh liesabout Animal Farm. Onceagain it was being put aboutthat all the animals weredying of famine and disease,and that they werecontinually fighting amongthemselves and had resortedto cannibalism andinfanticide. Napoleon waswell awareof thebad resultsthat might follow if the realfacts of the food situation

Page 259: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

were known, and he decidedtomakeuseofMr.Whymperto spread a contraryimpression. Hitherto theanimals had had little or nocontactwithWhymperonhisweekly visits: now, however,a few selected animals,mostlysheep,wereinstructedto remark casually in hishearing that rations had beenincreased. In addition,Napoleon ordered the almostempty bins in the store−shed

Page 260: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

tobefillednearlytothebrimwith sand, which was thencovered up with whatremained of the grain andmeal. On some suitablepretext Whymper was ledthrough the store−shed andallowedtocatchaglimpseofthe bins. He was deceived,andcontinuedtoreporttotheoutside world that there wasno food shortage on AnimalFarm.

Page 261: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Nevertheless,towardstheendofJanuaryitbecameobviousthat itwould be necessary toprocure some more grainfrom somewhere. In thesedays Napoleon rarelyappeared in public, but spentallhistimeinthefarmhouse,which was guarded at eachdoor by fierce−looking dogs.When he did emerge, it wasinaceremonialmanner,withan escort of six dogs whoclosely surrounded him and

Page 262: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

growled if anyone came toonear. Frequently he did noteven appear on Sundaymornings, but issued hisorders through one of theotherpigs,usuallySquealer.

One Sunday morningSquealer announced that thehens,whohadjustcomeintolay again, must surrendertheir eggs. Napoleon hadaccepted, through Whymper,a contract for four hundred

Page 263: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

eggs a week. The price ofthese would pay for enoughgrain and meal to keep thefarmgoing till summercameon and conditions wereeasier.

VII

22

AnimalFarm

When the hens heard this,

Page 264: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

they raised a terrible outcry.Theyhadbeenwarnedearlierthat this sacrifice might benecessary, but had notbelieved that it would reallyhappen. They were justgetting their clutches readyforthespringsitting,andtheyprotestedthattotaketheeggsaway now was murder. Forthe first time since theexpulsionofJones, therewassomething resembling arebellion.Ledbythreeyoung

Page 265: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Black Minorca pullets, thehens made a determinedeffort to thwart Napoleon'swishes. Theirmethodwas toflyuptotheraftersandtherelaytheireggs,whichsmashedto pieces on the floor.Napoleon acted swiftly andruthlessly. He ordered thehens' rations to be stopped,and decreed that any animalgiving somuch as a grainofcorn to a hen should bepunished by death. The dogs

Page 266: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

saw to it that these orderswere carried out. For fivedays the hens held out, thenthey capitulated and wentback to their nesting boxes.Nine hens had died in themeantime.Their bodieswereburied in the orchard, and itwas given out that they haddiedofcoccidiosis.Whymperheard nothing of this affair,and the eggs were dulydelivered, a grocer's vandrivinguptothefarmoncea

Page 267: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

weektotakethemaway.

All this while no more hadbeen seen of Snowball. Hewasrumouredtobehidingonone of the neighbouringfarms, either Foxwood orPinchfield. Napoleon was bythis time on slightly betterterms with the other farmersthan before. It happened thattherewasintheyardapileoftimber which had beenstackedtheretenyearsearlier

Page 268: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

when a beech spinney wascleared.Itwaswellseasoned,and Whymper had advisedNapoleon to sell it; bothMr.Pilkington andMr. Frederickwere anxious to buy it.Napoleon was hesitatingbetween the two, unable tomake up his mind. It wasnoticed that whenever heseemed on the point ofcoming toanagreementwithFrederick, Snowball wasdeclared to be in hiding at

Page 269: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Foxwood, while, when heinclined toward Pilkington,Snowball was said to be atPinchfield.

Suddenly,earlyinthespring,an alarming thing wasdiscovered. Snowball wassecretly frequenting the farmby night! The animals wereso disturbed that they couldhardly sleep in their stalls.Every night, it was said, hecamecreepinginundercover

Page 270: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

ofdarknessandperformedallkinds of mischief. He stolethe corn, he upset the milk−pails, he broke the eggs, hetrampled the seedbeds, hegnawed thebarkoff the fruittrees. Whenever anythingwent wrong it became usualtoattributeittoSnowball.Ifawindow was broken or adrain was blocked up,someone was certain to saythat Snowball had come inthe night and done it, and

Page 271: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

when the key of the store−shed was lost, the wholefarm was convinced thatSnowballhadthrownitdownthe well. Curiously enough,they went on believing thiseven after the mislaid keywas found under a sack ofmeal. The cows declaredunanimously that Snowballcrept into their stalls andmilked them in their sleep.The rats, which had beentroublesomethatwinter,were

Page 272: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

alsosaidtobeinleaguewithSnowball. Napoleon decreedthat there should be a fullinvestigation into Snowball'sactivities. With his dogs inattendance he set out andmade a careful tour ofinspection of the farmbuildings, the other animalsfollowing at a respectfuldistance. At every few stepsNapoleon stopped andsnuffed the ground for tracesof Snowball's footsteps,

Page 273: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

which, he said, he coulddetect by the smell. Hesnuffedineverycorner,inthebarn, in thecow−shed, in thehenhouses, in the vegetablegarden, and found traces ofSnowballalmosteverywhere.Hewouldputhissnouttotheground, give several deepsniffs,adexclaiminaterriblevoice, "Snowball! He hasbeen here! I can smell himdistinctly!" and at the word"Snowball" all the dogs let

Page 274: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

out blood−curdling growlsandshowedtheirsideteeth.

Theanimalswere thoroughlyfrightened.Itseemedtothemas though Snowball weresome kind of invisibleinfluence, pervading the airabout them and menacingthem with all kinds ofdangers. In the eveningSquealer called themtogether,andwithanalarmedexpression on his face told

Page 275: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

themthathehadsomeseriousnewstoreport.

"Comrades!" cried Squealer,making little nervous skips,"a most terrible thing hasbeen discovered. Snowballhas soldhimself toFrederickof Pinchfield Farm, who isevennowplottingtoattackusandtakeourfarmawayfromus! Snowball is to act as hisguidewhentheattackbegins.But there is worse than that.

Page 276: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

We had thought thatSnowball's rebellion wascaused simply by his vanityand ambition. But we werewrong,VII

23

AnimalFarm

comrades.Doyouknowwhatthe real reason was?Snowballwas in leaguewithJonesfromtheverystart!He

Page 277: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

was Jones's secret agent allthe time. It has all beenproved by documents whichheleftbehindhimandwhichwehaveonlyjustdiscovered.To my mind this explains agreatdeal,comrades.Didwenot see for ourselves howheattempted−fortunatelywithout success−to get usdefeatedanddestroyedat theBattleoftheCowshed?"

The animals were stupefied.

Page 278: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

This was a wickedness faroutdoing Snowball'sdestruction of the windmill.But it was some minutesbeforetheycouldfullytakeitin. They all remembered, orthought they remembered,how they had seen SnowballchargingaheadofthemattheBattle of the Cowshed, howhehadralliedandencouragedthem at every turn, and howhe had not paused for aninstant evenwhen the pellets

Page 279: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

from Jones's gun hadwounded his back.At first itwas a little difficult to seehow this fitted in with hisbeing on Jones's side. EvenBoxer, who seldom askedquestions, was puzzled. Helay down, tucked his forehoofs beneath him, shut hiseyes, and with a hard effortmanaged to formulate histhoughts.

"I do not believe that," he

Page 280: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

said. "Snowball foughtbravely at the Battle of theCowshed. I saw himmyself.Didwenotgivehim 'AnimalHero, first Class,'immediatelyafterwards?"

"That was our mistake,comrade. For we know now−it is allwrittendown in thesecret documents that wehave found−that in reality hewas trying to lure us to ourdoom."

Page 281: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

"But he was wounded," saidBoxer. "We all saw himrunningwithblood."

"That was part of thearrangement!"criedSquealer."Jones's shot only grazedhim.Icouldshowyouthisinhis ownwriting, if youwereable to read it. The plot wasfor Snowball, at the criticalmoment,togivethesignalforflight and leave the field tothe enemy. And he very

Page 282: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

nearly succeeded−Iwill evensay,comrades,hewouldhavesucceeded if it had not beenfor our heroic Leader,Comrade Napoleon. Do younotrememberhow,justatthemoment when Jones and hismen had got inside the yard,Snowball suddenly turnedand fled, and many animalsfollowed him? And do younotremember,too,thatitwasjust at that moment, whenpanic was spreading and all

Page 283: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

seemed lost, that ComradeNapoleon sprang forwardwith a cry of 'Death toHumanity!'

and sank his teeth in Jones'sleg? Surely you rememberthat, comrades?" exclaimedSquealer, frisking from sidetoside.

Now when Squealerdescribed the scene sographically, it seemed to the

Page 284: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

animals that they didrememberit.Atanyrate,theyremembered that at thecritical moment of the battleSnowball had turned to flee.But Boxer was still a littleuneasy.

"I do not believe thatSnowballwas a traitor at thebeginning," he said finally."What he has done since isdifferent.ButIbelievethatattheBattleof theCowshedhe

Page 285: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

wasagoodcomrade."

"Our Leader, ComradeNapoleon," announcedSquealer, speaking veryslowlyandfirmly,"hasstatedcategorically−categorically,comrade−that Snowball wasJones's agent from the verybeginning−yes,andfromlongbeforetheRebellionwaseverthoughtof."

"Ah, that is different!" said

Page 286: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Boxer."IfComradeNapoleonsaysit,itmustberight."

"That is the true spirit,comrade!"criedSquealer,butitwas noticed he cast a veryugly look at Boxer with hislittle twinkling eyes. Heturnedtogo,thenpausedandadded impressively: "I warnevery animal on this farm tokeephiseyesverywideopen.For we have reason to thinkthat some of Snowball's

Page 287: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

secret agents are lurkingamongusatthismoment!"

VII

24

AnimalFarm

Four days later, in the lateafternoon, Napoleon orderedalltheanimalstoassembleintheyard.When theywereallgathered together, Napoleon

Page 288: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

emergedfromthefarmhouse,wearing both hismedals (forhe had recently awardedhimself "Animal Hero, FirstClass," and "Animal Hero,SecondClass"),withhisninehugedogsfriskingroundhimand uttering growls that sentshivers downall the animals'spines. They all coweredsilently in their places,seeming to know in advancethat some terrible thing wasabout to happen. Napoleon

Page 289: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

stood sternly surveying hisaudience; then he uttered ahigh−pitched whimper.Immediately the dogsboundedforward,seizedfourof the pigs by the ear anddraggedthem,squealingwithpainandterror,toNapoleon'sfeet. The pigs' ears werebleeding, thedogshad tastedblood,andforafewmomentsthey appeared to go quitemad. To the amazement ofeverybody, three of them

Page 290: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

flungthemselvesuponBoxer.Boxer saw them coming andputouthisgreathoof,caughtadog inmid−air,andpinnedhim to the ground. The dogshrieked for mercy and theother twofledwiththeir tailsbetween their legs. Boxerlooked at Napoleon to knowwhether he should crush thedog to death or let it go.Napoleonappearedtochangecountenance, and sharplyordered Boxer to let the dog

Page 291: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

go, whereat Boxer lifted hishoof,andthedogslunkaway,bruisedandhowling.

Presently the tumult dieddown. The four pigs waited,trembling, with guilt writtenon every line of theircountenances. Napoleon nowcalled upon them to confesstheir crimes. They were thesame four pigs as hadprotested when Napoleonabolished the Sunday

Page 292: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Meetings. Without anyfurther prompting theyconfessed that they had beensecretly in touch withSnowball ever since hisexpulsion, that they hadcollaborated with him indestroying the windmill, andthat they had entered into anagreement with him to handover Animal Farm to Mr.Frederick. They added thatSnowball had privatelyadmitted to them that he had

Page 293: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

been Jones's secret agent foryears past. When they hadfinished their confession, thedogs promptly tore theirthroats out, and in a terriblevoice Napoleon demandedwhetheranyotheranimalhadanythingtoconfess.Thethreehens who had been theringleaders in the attemptedrebellion over the eggs nowcame forward and stated thatSnowball had appeared tothem in a dream and incited

Page 294: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

them to disobey Napoleon'sorders. They, too, wereslaughtered. Then a goosecame forward and confessedtohavingsecretedsixearsofcorn during the last year'sharvestandeatentheminthenight.Thenasheepconfessedto having urinated in thedrinking pool−urged to dothis,soshesaid,bySnowball−and two other sheepconfessedtohavingmurderedan old ram, an especially

Page 295: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

devoted follower ofNapoleon, by chasing himround and round a bonfirewhenhewassufferingfromacough.Theywereallslainonthe spot. And so the tale ofconfessions and executionswenton,untiltherewasapileof corpses lying beforeNapoleon's feet and the airwas heavy with the smell ofblood, which had beenunknown there since theexpulsionofJones.

Page 296: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

When it was all over, theremaininganimals,exceptforthepigsanddogs,creptawayin abody.Theywere shakenand miserable. They did notknow which was moreshocking−thetreacheryoftheanimals who had leaguedthemselveswithSnowball,orthecruel retribution theyhadjustwitnessed.Intheolddaystherehadoftenbeenscenesofbloodshed equally terrible,but it seemed to all of them

Page 297: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

thatitwasfarworsenowthatit was happening amongthemselves. Since Jones hadleft the farm, until today, noanimal had killed anotheranimal. Not even a rat hadbeen killed. They had madetheirwayontothelittleknollwhere the half−finishedwindmillstood,andwithoneaccord they all lay down asthough huddling together forwarmth−Clover, Muriel,Benjamin, the cows, the

Page 298: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

sheep, and a whole flock ofgeese and hens−everyone,indeed, except the cat, whohadsuddenlydisappearedjustbefore Napoleon ordered theanimals to assemble. Forsome time nobody spoke.Only Boxer remained on hisfeet. He fidgeted to and fro,swishing his long black tailagainst his sides andoccasionally uttering a littlewhinnyofsurprise.Finallyhesaid:

Page 299: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

"I do not understand it. Iwould not have believed thatsuch things could happen onour farm. It must be due tosome fault in ourselves. Thesolution,asIseeit,istoworkharder. From now onwards Ishallgetupafullhourearlierinthemornings."

VII

25

Page 300: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

AnimalFarm

And he moved off at hislumbering trot and made forthe quarry.Having got there,he collected two successiveloads of stone and draggedthem down to the windmillbefore retiring for the night.The animals huddled aboutClover, not speaking. Theknoll where they were lyinggave them a wide prospectacross the countryside. Most

Page 301: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

of Animal Farm was withintheir view−the long pasturestretching down to the mainroad, the hayfield, thespinney, the drinking pool,theploughedfieldswheretheyoung wheat was thick andgreen,andtheredroofsofthefarm buildings with thesmoke curling from thechimneys. It was a clearspringevening.Thegrassandthe bursting hedges weregildedbythelevelraysofthe

Page 302: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

sun.Neverhad the farm−andwith a kind of surprise theyremembered that it was theirown farm, every inch of ittheir own property−appearedto the animals so desirable aplace. As Clover lookeddown the hillside her eyesfilledwith tears. If she couldhave spoken her thoughts, itwould have been to say thatthis was not what they hadaimed at when they had setthemselvesyearsagotowork

Page 303: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

for the overthrow of thehuman race. These scenes ofterror and slaughterwere notwhattheyhadlookedforwardto on that night when oldMajor first stirred them torebellion. If she herself hadhadanypictureof thefuture,it had been of a society ofanimals set free from hungerand thewhip, all equal, eachworking according to hiscapacity, the strongprotecting the weak, as she

Page 304: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

had protected the lost broodofducklingswithher forelegon the night of Major'sspeech. Instead−she did notknowwhy−theyhadcome toa time when no one daredspeak hismind, when fierce,growling dogs roamedeverywhere, and when youhad to watch your comradestorntopiecesafterconfessingto shocking crimes. Therewasnothoughtofrebellionordisobedienceinhermind.She

Page 305: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

knew that, even as thingswere,theywerefarbetteroffthan they had been in thedaysofJones,andthatbeforeall else it was needful toprevent the return of thehuman beings. Whateverhappened she would remainfaithful,workhard, carryoutthe orders thatwere given toher,andaccepttheleadershipofNapoleon.But still, itwasnot for this that she and allthe other animals had hoped

Page 306: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

andtoiled.Itwasnotfor thisthat they had built thewindmill and faced thebullets of Jones's gun. Suchwereherthoughts,thoughshelacked the words to expressthem. At last, feeling this tobe in some way a substitutefor thewordsshewasunableto find, she began to singBeastsofEngland.Theotheranimalssittingroundhertookit up, and they sang it threetimes over−very tunefully,

Page 307: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

butslowlyandmournfully,inaway theyhadnever sung itbefore.Theyhadjustfinishedsinging it for the third timewhen Squealer, attended bytwo dogs, approached themwith the air of havingsomething important to say.He announced that, by aspecial decree of ComradeNapoleon,Beasts of Englandhad been abolished. Fromnow onwards it wasforbidden to sing it. The

Page 308: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

animalsweretakenaback.

"Why?"criedMuriel.

"It's no longer needed,comrade," said Squealerstiffly. " Beasts of Englandwas the song of theRebellion. But the Rebellionis now completed. Theexecution of the traitors thisafternoon was the final act.Theenemybothexternalandinternalhasbeendefeated.In

Page 309: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Beasts of England weexpressed our longing for abetter society in days tocome. But that society hasnowbeenestablished.Clearlythis song has no longer anypurpose."

Frightened though theywere,some of the animals mightpossibly have protested, butat thismoment the sheep setup their usual bleating of"Four legs good, two legs

Page 310: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

bad," which went on forseveral minutes and put anendtothediscussion.

So Beasts of England washeard no more. In its placeMinimus, the poet, hadcomposed another songwhichbegan:

AnimalFarm,AnimalFarm,

VII

Page 311: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

26

AnimalFarm

Never throughme shalt thoucometoharm!

and this was sung everySunday morning after thehoisting of the flag. Butsomehow neither the wordsnor the tune ever seemed tothe animals to come up toBeastsofEngland.VIII

Page 312: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

AFEWdays later, when theterror caused by theexecutions had died down,some of the animalsremembered−or thought theyremembered−that the SixthCommandment decreed "Noanimal shall kill any otheranimal." And though no onecared to mention it in thehearing of the pigs or thedogs, it was felt that thekillings which had takenplacedidnotsquarewiththis.

Page 313: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Clover asked Benjamin toread her the SixthCommandment, and whenBenjamin, as usual, said thathe refused tomeddle in suchmatters, she fetched Muriel.Muriel read theCommandmentforher.Itran:"No animal shall kill anyother animalwithout cause."Somehow or other, the lasttwowordshadslippedoutofthe animals' memory. Butthey saw now that the

Page 314: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Commandment had not beenviolated;forclearlytherewasgood reason for killing thetraitors who had leaguedthemselveswithSnowball.

Throughout the year theanimals worked even harderthan they had worked in theprevious year To rebuild thewindmill,withwalls twiceasthick as before, and to finishit by the appointed date,together with the regular

Page 315: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

work of the farm, was atremendous labour. Thereweretimeswhenitseemedtothe animals that theyworkedlongerhoursandfednobetterthantheyhaddoneinJones'sday. On Sunday morningsSquealer, holding down along strip of paper with histrotter, would read out tothem lists of figures provingthat the production of everyclass of foodstuff hadincreasedbytwohundredper

Page 316: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

cent, three hundred per cent,or five hundred per cent, asthe case might be. Theanimals saw no reason todisbelieve him, especially asthey could no longerremember very clearly whatconditions had been likebefore the Rebellion. All thesame, there were days whenthey felt that they wouldsooner have had less figuresand more food. All orderswere now issued through

Page 317: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Squealer or one of the otherpigs. Napoleon himself wasnotseeninpublicasoftenasonce in a fortnight.Whenhedid appear, he was attendednot only by his retinue ofdogs but by a black cockerelwhomarched in frontofhimand acted as a kind oftrumpeter,lettingoutaloud

"cock−a−doodle−doo" beforeNapoleon spoke. Even in thefarmhouse, it was said,

Page 318: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Napoleon inhabited separateapartments from the others.Hetookhismealsalone,withtwo dogs to wait upon him,and always ate from theCrown Derby dinner servicewhich had been in the glasscupboard in the drawing−room.Itwasalsoannouncedthat the gun would be firedevery year on Napoleon'sbirthday, as well as on theothertwoanniversaries.

Page 319: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Napoleon was now neverspoken of simply as"Napoleon." He was alwaysreferred to in formal style as"our Leader, ComradeNapoleon,"andthispigslikedto invent for him such titlesas Father of All Animals,Terror ofMankind, ProtectoroftheSheep−fold,Ducklings'Friend, and the like. In hisspeeches,Squealerwouldtalkwith the tears rolling downhis cheeks of Napoleon's

Page 320: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

wisdom the goodness of hisheart, and the deep love hebore to all animalseverywhere, even andespecially the unhappyanimals who still lived inignorance and slavery onother farms. It had becomeusual to give Napoleon thecredit for every successfulachievementandeverystrokeof good fortune. You wouldoftenhearonehen remark toanother, "Under theguidance

Page 321: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

of our Leader, ComradeNapoleon, I have laid fiveeggs in six days"; or twocows,enjoyingadrinkat thepool,wouldexclaim,"Thanksto the leadershipofComradeNapoleon, how excellent thiswater tastes!" The generalfeeling on the farmwaswellexpressed in a poem entitledComrade Napoleon, whichwas composed by Minimusandwhichranasfollows:

Page 322: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Friendoffatherless!

VIII

27

AnimalFarm

Fountainofhappiness!

Lordoftheswill−bucket!Oh,howmysoulison

FirewhenIgazeatthy

Page 323: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Calmandcommandingeye,

Likethesuninthesky,

ComradeNapoleon!

Thouarethegiverof

Allthatthycreatureslove,

Full belly twice a day, cleanstrawtorollupon;

Everybeastgreatorsmall

Page 324: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Sleepsatpeaceinhisstall,

Thouwatchestoverall,

ComradeNapoleon!

HadIasucking−pig,

Erehehadgrownasbig

Even as a pint bottle or as arolling−pin,

Heshouldhavelearnedtobe

Page 325: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Faithfulandtruetothee,

Yes, his first squeak shouldbe

"ComradeNapoleon!"

Napoleon approved of thispoem and caused it to beinscribed on the wall of thebig barn, at the opposite endfrom the SevenCommandments. It wassurmounted by a portrait of

Page 326: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Napoleon, in profile,executedbySquealerinwhitepaint.

Meanwhile, through theagency of Whymper,Napoleon was engaged incomplicatednegotiationswithFrederickandPilkington.Thepile of timber was stillunsold.Ofthetwo,Frederickwas the more anxious to gethold of it, but he would notoffer a reasonable price. At

Page 327: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

the same time there wererenewed rumours thatFrederick and his men wereplotting to attack AnimalFarm and to destroy thewindmill, the building ofwhich had aroused furiousjealousy in him. Snowballwas known to be stillskulking onPinchfield Farm.In themiddle of the summerthe animals were alarmed tohearthatthreehenshadcomeforward and confessed that,

Page 328: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

inspired by Snowball, theyhad entered into a plot tomurderNapoleon.TheywereexecutedVIII

28

AnimalFarm

immediately, and freshprecautions for Napoleon'ssafetywere taken. Four dogsguardedhisbedatnight,oneat each corner, and a young

Page 329: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

pignamedPinkeyewasgiventhetaskoftastingallhisfoodbeforeheateit, lestitshouldbepoisoned.

Ataboutthesametimeitwasgiven out that Napoleon hadarranged to sell the pile oftimber to Mr. Pilkington; hewasalsogoingtoenterintoaregular agreement for theexchange of certain productsbetween Animal Farm andFoxwood. The relations

Page 330: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

between Napoleon andPilkington, though theywereonly conducted throughWhymper, were now almostfriendly. The animalsdistrusted Pilkington, as ahuman being, but greatlypreferred him to Frederick,whom they both feared andhated. As the summer woreon, and the windmill nearedcompletion,therumoursofanimpending treacherous attackgrew stronger and stronger.

Page 331: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Frederick, it was said,intended to bring againstthem twenty men all armedwithguns,andhehadalreadybribed the magistrates andpolice, so that if he couldonce get hold of the title−deeds ofAnimal Farm theywould ask no questions.Moreover, terrible storieswere leaking out fromPinchfield about the crueltiesthat Frederick practised uponhis animals. He had flogged

Page 332: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

an old horse to death, hestarved his cows, he hadkilled a dog by throwing itinto the furnace, he amusedhimself in the evenings bymaking cocks fight withsplinters of razor−blade tiedto their spurs. The animals'blood boiled with rage whenthey heard of these thingsbeingdone to their comrades,and sometimes theyclamoured to be allowed togo out in a body and attack

Page 333: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

PinchfieldFarm,driveoutthehumans, and set the animalsfree.ButSquealercounselledthem to avoid rash actionsand trust in ComradeNapoleon'sstrategy.

Nevertheless, feeling againstFrederick continued to runhigh. One Sunday morningNapoleon appeared in thebarn and explained that hehad never at any timecontemplated selling the pile

Page 334: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

of timber to Frederick; heconsidered it beneath hisdignity, he said, to havedealings with scoundrels ofthat description. The pigeonswho were still sent out tospread tidings of theRebellion were forbidden toset foot anywhere onFoxwood, and were alsoordered to drop their formerslogan of "Death toHumanity" in favour of"Death to Frederick." In the

Page 335: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

late summer yet another ofSnowball's machinations waslaidbare.Thewheatcropwasfull of weeds, and it wasdiscovered thatononeofhisnocturnalvisitsSnowballhadmixed weed seeds with theseedcorn.Aganderwhohadbeen privy to the plot hadconfessed his guilt toSquealer and immediatelycommitted suicide byswallowing deadlynightshade berries. The

Page 336: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

animalsnowalsolearnedthatSnowballhadnever−asmanyofthemhadbelievedhitherto−received the order of"Animal Hero7 First Class."This was merely a legendwhich had been spread sometime after the Battle of theCowshed by Snowballhimself. So far from beingdecorated, he had beencensured for showingcowardice in thebattle.Onceagain some of the animals

Page 337: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

heard this with a certainbewilderment, but Squealerwas soon able to convincethemthat theirmemorieshadbeenatfault.

In the autumn, by atremendous,exhaustingeffort−for the harvest had to begathered at almost the sametime−the windmill wasfinished. The machinery hadstill to be installed, andWhymperwasnegotiatingthe

Page 338: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

purchase of it, but thestructure was completed. Inthe teeth of every difficulty,in spite of inexperience, ofprimitive implements, of badluck and of Snowball'streachery, theworkhadbeenfinished punctually to thevery day! Tired out butproud, the animals walkedround and round theirmasterpiece, which appearedeven more beautiful in theireyes than when it had been

Page 339: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

builtthefirsttime.Moreover,thewallswere twiceas thickas before. Nothing short ofexplosives would lay themlowthistime!Andwhentheythought of how they hadlaboured, whatdiscouragements they hadovercome, and the enormousdifference that would bemade in their lives when thesails were turning and thedynamos running−when theythought of all this, their

Page 340: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

tiredness forsook them andthey gambolled round andround the windmill, utteringcries of triumph. Napoleonhimself,attendedbyhisdogsandhis cockerel, camedownto inspect the completedwork; he personallycongratulated the animals ontheir achievement, andannounced that the millwould be named NapoleonMill. Two days later theanimals were called together

Page 341: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

for a special meeting in thebarn.Theywerestruckdumbwith surprisewhenNapoleonannounced that he had soldthe pile of timber toFrederick. TomorrowFrederick's wagons wouldarrive and begin carting itaway. Throughout the wholeperiodofhisseemingVIII

29

AnimalFarm

Page 342: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

friendship with Pilkington,Napoleon had really been insecret agreement withFrederick. All relations withFoxwood had been brokenoff; insulting messages hadbeen sent to Pilkington. Thepigeons had been told toavoidPinchfieldFarmand toaltertheirsloganfrom"Deathto Frederick" to "Death toPilkington."AtthesametimeNapoleonassuredtheanimalsthat the stories of an

Page 343: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

impending attack on AnimalFarmwerecompletelyuntrue,and that the tales aboutFrederick'scrueltytohisownanimals had been greatlyexaggerated. All theserumours had probablyoriginatedwithSnowballandhis agents. It now appearedthat Snowball was not, afterall, hiding on PinchfieldFarm, and in fact had neverbeen there inhis life:hewasliving−inconsiderableluxury,

Page 344: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

so it was said−at Foxwood,and had in reality been apensioner of Pilkington foryearspast.

The pigs were in ecstasiesoverNapoleon's cunning. Byseeming to be friendly withPilkington he had forcedFredericktoraisehispricebytwelve pounds. But thesuperiorqualityofNapoleon'smind, said Squealer, wasshown in the fact that he

Page 345: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

trusted nobody, not evenFrederick. Frederick hadwanted to pay for the timberwith something called acheque, which, it seemed,was a piece of paper with apromise to pay written uponit. But Napoleon was tooclever for him. He haddemanded payment in realfive−pound notes, whichwere to be handed overbefore the timber wasremoved. Already Frederick

Page 346: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

had paid up; and the sum hehad paid was just enough tobuy the machinery for thewindmill.

Meanwhile the timber wasbeing carted away at highspeed.When itwas all gone,another special meeting washeld in the barn for theanimalstoinspectFrederick'sbank−notes. Smilingbeatifically,andwearingbothhis decorations, Napoleon

Page 347: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

reposedonabedofstrawontheplatform,with themoneyat his side, neatly piled on achina dish from thefarmhouse kitchen. Theanimalsfiledslowlypast,andeach gazed his fill. AndBoxer put out his nose tosniff at the bank−notes, andtheflimsywhitethingsstirredand rustled in his breath.Three days later there was aterrible hullabaloo.Whymper, his face deadly

Page 348: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

pale,cameracingupthepathonhis bicycle, flung it downin the yard and rushedstraight into the farmhouse.The next moment a chokingroar of rage sounded fromNapoleon's apartments. Thenews of what had happenedsped round the farm likewildfire.Thebanknoteswereforgeries! Frederick had gotthetimberfornothing!

Napoleon called the animals

Page 349: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

togetherimmediatelyandinaterriblevoicepronounced thedeath sentence uponFrederick.Whencaptured,hesaid, Frederick should beboiledalive.Atthesametimehewarnedthemthatafterthistreacherous deed the worstwastobeexpected.Frederickandhismenmightmaketheirlong−expected attack at anymoment. Sentinels wereplacedatalltheapproachestothe farm. In addition, four

Page 350: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

pigeons were sent toFoxwood with a conciliatorymessage,which itwashopedmight re−establish goodrelationswithPilkington.

The very next morning theattack came. The animalswere at breakfast when thelook−outs came racing inwith the news that Frederickandhisfollowershadalreadycomethroughthefive−barredgate. Boldly enough the

Page 351: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

animals sallied forth to meetthem, but this time they didnothavetheeasyvictorythattheyhadhad in theBattle ofthe Cowshed. There werefifteenmen,withhalfadozengunsbetween them,and theyopened fire as soon as theygot within fifty yards. Theanimals could not face theterrible explosions and thestinging pellets, and in spiteoftheeffortsofNapoleonandBoxer to rally them, they

Page 352: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

were soon driven back. Anumberofthemwerealreadywounded.Theytookrefugeinthe farm buildings andpeeped cautiously out fromchinks and knot−holes. Thewhole of the big pasture,including the windmill, wasin the hands of the enemy.For the moment evenNapoleon seemed at a loss.He paced up and downwithout aword, his tail rigidand twitching. Wistful

Page 353: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

glances were sent in thedirection of Foxwood. IfPilkingtonandhismenwouldhelp them, the daymight yetbe won. But at this momentthe four pigeons, who hadbeen sent out on the daybefore, returned,oneof thembearingascrapofpaperfromPilkington. On it waspencilled the words: "Servesyouright."VIII

30

Page 354: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

AnimalFarm

Meanwhile Frederick and hismen had halted about thewindmill. The animalswatched them,andamurmurof dismay went round. Twoof the men had produced acrowbar and a sledgehammer.Theyweregoing toknockthewindmilldown.

"Impossible!" criedNapoleon."Wehavebuiltthe

Page 355: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

walls far too thick for that.Theycouldnotknockitdownin a week. Courage,comrades!"

But Benjamin was watchingthe movements of the menintently. The two with thehammer and the crowbarwere drilling a hole near thebaseofthewindmill.Slowly,and with an air almost ofamusement, Benjaminnoddedhislongmuzzle.

Page 356: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

"I thought so," he said. "Doyou not see what they aredoing? In another momentthey are going to packblasting powder into thathole."

Terrified, theanimalswaited.It was impossible now toventure out of the shelter ofthe buildings. After a fewminutesthemenwereseentobe running in all directions.Then there was a deafening

Page 357: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

roar.Thepigeonsswirledintothe air, and all the animals,except Napoleon, flungthemselves flat on theirbellies and hid their faces.When they got up again, ahuge cloud of black smokewas hanging where thewindmill had been. Slowlythe breeze drifted it away.The windmill had ceased toexist!

At this sight the animals'

Page 358: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

couragereturnedtothem.Thefearanddespair theyhadfelta moment earlier weredrowned in their rageagainstthis vile, contemptible act.Amighty cry for vengeancewentup,andwithoutwaitingfor further orders theycharged forth in a body andmade straight for the enemy.This time they did not heedthe cruel pellets that sweptover them like hail. It was asavage,bitterbattle.Themen

Page 359: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

fired again and again, and,whentheanimalsgottoclosequarters,lashedoutwiththeirsticks and their heavy boots.A cow, three sheep, and twogeesewerekilled, andnearlyeveryonewaswounded.EvenNapoleon,whowasdirectingoperations from the rear, hadthetipofhistailchippedbyapellet.Butthemendidnotgounscathed either. Three ofthem had their heads brokenbyblowsfromBoxer'shoofs;

Page 360: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

anotherwasgoredinthebellybya cow'shorn; anotherhadhistrousersnearlytornoffbyJessie and Bluebell. Andwhen the nine dogs ofNapoleon's own bodyguard,whom he had instructed tomakeadetourundercoverofthehedge,suddenlyappearedon the men's flank, bayingferociously, panic overtookthem. They saw that theywere in danger of beingsurrounded. Frederick

Page 361: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

shoutedtohismentogetoutwhile the going was good,and the next moment thecowardlyenemywasrunningfor dear life. The animalschasedthemrightdowntothebottomofthefield,andgotinsome last kicks at them astheyforcedtheirwaythroughthe thorn hedge. They hadwon,buttheywerewearyandbleeding. Slowly they beganto limp back towards thefarm.The sight of their dead

Page 362: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

comrades stretched upon thegrassmovedsomeofthemtotears. And for a little whilethey halted in sorrowfulsilenceattheplacewherethewindmill had once stood.Yes, it was gone; almost thelast trace of their labourwasgone! Even the foundationswerepartiallydestroyed.Andinrebuildingittheycouldnotthistime,asbefore,makeuseofthefallenstones.Thistimethe stones had vanished too.

Page 363: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

The force of the explosionhadflungthemtodistancesofhundreds of yards. It was asthough the windmill hadnever been. As theyapproached the farmSquealer, who hadunaccountably been absentduring the fighting, cameskipping towards them,whiskinghistailandbeamingwith satisfaction. And theanimals heard, from thedirection of the farm

Page 364: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

buildings, the solemnboomingofagun.

"Whatisthatgunfiringfor?"saidBoxer.

"To celebrate our victory!"criedSquealer.

VIII

31

AnimalFarm

Page 365: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

"What victory?" said Boxer.His knees were bleeding, hehad lost a shoe and split hishoof,andadozenpelletshadlodgedthemselvesinhishindleg.

"What victory, comrade?Have we not driven theenemyoffoursoil−thesacredsoilofAnimalFarm?"

"But theyhavedestroyed thewindmill. And we had

Page 366: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

workedonitfortwoyears!"

"Whatmatter?Wewill buildanother windmill. We willbuildsixwindmillsifwefeellikeit.Youdonotappreciate,comrade, the mighty thingthat we have done. Theenemy was in occupation ofthisverygroundthatwestandupon.Andnow−thankstotheleadership of ComradeNapoleon−we have woneveryinchofitbackagain!"

Page 367: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

"Then we have won backwhat we had before," saidBoxer.

"That is our victory," saidSquealer.

They limped into the yard.The pellets under the skin ofBoxer'slegsmartedpainfully.He saw ahead of him theheavy labour of rebuildingthe windmill from thefoundations, and already in

Page 368: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

imagination he bracedhimself for the task. But forthe first time it occurred tohim thathewaselevenyearsoldandthatperhapshisgreatmuscles were not quite whattheyhadoncebeen.

Butwhentheanimalssawthegreen flag flying, and heardthe gun firing again−seventimes it was fired in all−andheard the speech thatNapoleon made,

Page 369: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

congratulating them on theirconduct, it did seem to themafter all that they hadwon agreat victory. The animalsslain in thebattleweregivena solemn funeral. Boxer andClover pulled the wagonwhichservedasahearse,andNapoleon himself walked atthe head of the procession.Two whole days were givenover to celebrations. Therewere songs, speeches, andmorefiringof thegun,anda

Page 370: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

special gift of an apple wasbestowed on every animal,with two ounces of corn foreach bird and three biscuitsfor each dog. It wasannounced that the battlewouldbecalled theBattleofthe Windmill, and thatNapoleon had created a newdecoration, the Order of theGreen Banner, which he hadconferred upon himself. Inthe general rejoicings theunfortunate affair of the

Page 371: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

banknotes was forgotten. Itwasafewdayslaterthanthisthat the pigs came upon acase of whisky in the cellarsofthefarmhouse.Ithadbeenoverlooked at the time whenthehousewas first occupied.That night there came fromthe farmhouse the sound ofloud singing, in which, toeveryone's surprise, thestrains of Beasts of Englandweremixedup.Atabouthalfpast nine Napoleon, wearing

Page 372: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

an old bowler hat of Mr.Jones's,wasdistinctlyseentoemerge from the back door,galloprapidlyroundtheyard,and disappear indoors again.But in the morning a deepsilence hung over thefarmhouse. Not a pigappearedtobestirring.Itwasnearly nine o'clock whenSquealer made hisappearance, walking slowlyand dejectedly, his eyes dull,histailhanginglimplybehind

Page 373: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

him, and with everyappearanceofbeingseriouslyill. He called the animalstogetherandtoldthemthathehadaterriblepieceofnewstoimpart. Comrade Napoleonwasdying!

Acryoflamentationwentup.Strawwas laid down outsidethe doors of the farmhouse,and the animals walked ontiptoe.Withtearsintheireyesthey asked one another what

Page 374: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

theyshoulddoiftheirLeaderwere taken away from them.A rumour went round thatSnowball had after allcontrived to introducepoisoninto Napoleon's food. Ateleveno'clockSquealercameout to make anotherannouncement.Ashislastactupon earth, ComradeNapoleon had pronounced asolemn decree: the drinkingofalcoholwastobepunishedbydeath.

Page 375: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

By the evening, however,Napoleon appeared to besomewhat better, and thefollowing morning Squealerwas able to tell them that hewas well on the way torecovery. By the evening ofthat day Napoleon was backatwork, andon thenextdayit was learned that he hadinstructed Whymper topurchase inWillingdon someVIII

Page 376: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

32

AnimalFarm

booklets on brewing anddistilling. A week laterNapoleongaveordersthatthesmall paddock beyond theorchard, which it hadpreviously been intended tosetasideasagrazing−groundfor animals who were pastwork,wastobeploughedup.It was given out that the

Page 377: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

pasture was exhausted andneeded re−seeding; but itsoon became known thatNapoleon intended to sow itwithbarley.

About this time thereoccurred a strange incidentwhich hardly anyone wasabletounderstand.Onenightat about twelve o'clock therewasa loudcrash in theyard,andtheanimalsrushedoutoftheir stalls. It was a moonlit

Page 378: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

night. At the foot of the endwall of the big barn, wherethe Seven Commandmentswere written, there lay aladder broken in two pieces.Squealer, temporarilystunned, was sprawlingbeside it, and near at handthere lay a lantern, a paint−brush,andanoverturnedpotof white paint. The dogsimmediately made a ringround Squealer, and escortedhimbacktothefarmhouseas

Page 379: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

soonashewasable towalk.None of the animals couldformanyideaas towhat thismeant, except old Benjamin,who nodded hismuzzlewithaknowingair,andseemedtounderstand, but would saynothing.

But a few days laterMuriel,reading over the SevenCommandments to herself,noticed that there was yetanother of them which the

Page 380: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

animals had rememberedwrong.Theyhad thought theFifthCommandmentwas

"No animal shall drinkalcohol," but there were twowordsthattheyhadforgotten.Actually the Commandmentread: "No animal shall drinkalcoholtoexcess."IX

BOXER'S split hoof was along time in healing. Theyhad started the rebuilding of

Page 381: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

thewindmillthedayafterthevictory celebrations wereended Boxer refused to takeeven a day off work, andmadeitapointofhonournottoletitbeseenthathewasinpain. In the evenings hewould admit privately toClover that thehoof troubledhim a great deal. Clovertreated the hoof withpoultices of herbs which sheprepared by chewing them,and both she and Benjamin

Page 382: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

urged Boxer to work lesshard."Ahorse's lungsdonotlastforever,"shesaidtohim.But Boxer would not listen.Hehad,hesaid,onlyonerealambition left−to see thewindmill well under waybeforehereachedtheageforretirement.

At the beginning, when thelaws of Animal Farm werefirst formulated, the retiringagehadbeenfixedforhorses

Page 383: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

and pigs at twelve, for cowsat fourteen, for dogs at nine,for sheep at seven, and forhens and geese at five.Liberalold−agepensionshadbeen agreed upon.As yet noanimalhadactuallyretiredonpension, but of late thesubject had been discussedmoreandmore.Nowthatthesmall field beyond theorchardhadbeensetasideforbarley,itwasrumouredthatacorner of the large pasture

Page 384: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

was to be fenced off andturned into a grazing−groundfor superannuated animals.For a horse, it was said, thepensionwouldbefivepoundsof corn a day and, inwinter,fifteenpoundsofhay,with acarrotorpossiblyanappleonpublic holidays. Boxer'stwelfth birthday was due inthe late summer of thefollowingyear.

Meanwhilelifewashard.The

Page 385: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

winterwasascoldasthelastone had been, and food waseven shorter. Once again allrations were reduced, exceptthose of the pigs and thedogs. A too rigid equality inrations, Squealer explained,would have been contrary tothe principles of Animalism.In any case he had nodifficulty in proving to theother animals that they werenot in reality short of food,whatever the appearances

Page 386: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

mightbe.Forthetimebeing,certainly, it had been foundnecessary to make areadjustment of rations(Squealer always spoke of itas a "readjustment," never asa "reduction"), but incomparison with the days ofJones, the improvement wasenormous. Reading out thefiguresinashrill,rapidvoice,he proved to them in detailthattheyhadmoreoats,morehay, more turnips than they

Page 387: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

had had in Jones's day, thatthey worked shorter hours,that their drinkingwaterwasof better quality, that theylived longer, that a largerproportion of their youngones survived infancy, andthat they had more straw intheir stalls and suffered lessfrom fleas. The animalsbelieved every word of it.Truthtotell,Jonesandallhestood for had almost fadedout of their memories. They

Page 388: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

knew that life nowadayswasharshandbare,thattheywereoften hungry and often cold,andthattheyIX

33

AnimalFarm

were usually working whenthey were not asleep. Butdoubtlessithadbeenworseintheolddays.Theyweregladto believe so. Besides, in

Page 389: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

those days they had beenslaves and now they werefree, and that made all thedifference, as Squealer didnotfailtopointout.

There were many moremouths to feed now. In theautumnthefoursowshadalllitteredaboutsimultaneously,producing thirty−one youngpigs between them. Theyoungpigswerepiebald,andas Napoleon was the only

Page 390: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

boar on the farm, it waspossible to guess at theirparentage. It was announcedthat later, when bricks andtimberhadbeenpurchased,aschoolroomwouldbebuiltinthefarmhousegarden.Forthetime being, the young pigswere given their instructionby Napoleon himself in thefarmhousekitchen.Theytooktheir exercise in the garden,and were discouraged fromplayingwith the other young

Page 391: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

animals.Aboutthistime,too,itwaslaiddownasarulethatwhen a pig and any otheranimal met on the path, theother animal must standaside: and also that all pigs,of whatever degree, were tohavetheprivilegeofwearinggreenribbonsontheirtailsonSundays.

The farm had had a fairlysuccessful year, but was stillshort of money. There were

Page 392: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

thebricks,sand,andlimeforthe schoolroom to bepurchased, and it would alsobe necessary to begin savingup again for the machineryfor the windmill. Then therewerelampoilandcandlesforthe house, sugar forNapoleon's own table (heforbadethistotheotherpigs,on the ground that it madethem fat), and all the usualreplacements such as tools,nails,string,coal,wire,scrap

Page 393: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

−iron, and dog biscuits. Astumpof hay and part of thepotatocropweresoldoff,andthe contract for eggs wasincreased to six hundred aweek, so that that year thehens barely hatched enoughchicks to keep their numbersat the same level. Rations,reduced in December, werereduced again in February,andlanternsinthestallswereforbiddentosaveOil.Butthepigs seemed comfortable

Page 394: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

enough, and in fact wereputtingonweightifanything.One afternoon in lateFebruary a warm, rich,appetising scent, such as theanimals had never smeltbefore, wafted itself acrossthe yard from the little brew−house, which had beendisused in Jones's time, andwhich stood beyond thekitchen.Someonesaid itwasthe smell of cooking barley.The animals sniffed the air

Page 395: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

hungrily and wonderedwhether a warm mash wasbeing prepared for theirsupper. But no warm mashappeared, and on thefollowing Sunday it wasannounced that from nowonwards all barley would bereserved for the pigs. Thefield beyond the orchard hadalready been sown withbarley. And the news soonleakedoutthateverypigwasnow receiving a ration of a

Page 396: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

pintofbeerdaily,withhalfagallon for Napoleon himself,which was always served tohimintheCrownDerbysouptureen.

Butiftherewerehardshipstobe borne, they were partlyoffset by the fact that lifenowadays had a greaterdignitythanithadhadbefore.Thereweremoresongs,morespeeches, more processions.Napoleon had commanded

Page 397: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

thatonceaweekthereshouldbe held something called aSpontaneous Demonstration,the object of which was tocelebrate the struggles andtriumphsofAnimalFarm.Atthe appointed time theanimals would leave theirwork and march round theprecincts of the farm inmilitary formation, with thepigs leading, then thehorses,thenthecows,thenthesheep,and then the poultry. The

Page 398: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

dogs flanked the processionandattheheadofallmarchedNapoleon's black cockerel.Boxer and Clover alwayscarriedbetweenthemagreenbannermarkedwith the hoofandthehornandthecaption,"Long live ComradeNapoleon!"Afterwardstherewere recitations of poemscomposed in Napoleon'shonour, and a speech bySquealergivingparticularsofthe latest increases in the

Page 399: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

production of foodstuffs, andon occasion a shot was firedfromthegun.Thesheepwerethe greatest devotees of theSpontaneous Demonstration,andifanyonecomplained(asafewanimalssometimesdid,when no pigs or dogs werenear) that they wasted timeand meant a lot of standingabout in the cold, the sheepweresuretosilencehimwitha tremendous bleating of"Four legs good, two legs

Page 400: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

bad!" But by and large theanimals enjoyed thesecelebrations. They found itcomforting to be remindedthat,afterall, theyweretrulytheirownmastersandthatthework they did was for theirown benefit. So that, whatwith the songs, theprocessions, Squealer's listsof figures, the thunder of thegun, the crowing of thecockerel,andtheflutteringofthe flag, they were able to

Page 401: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

forget that their bellies wereempty, at least part of thetime.

IX

34

AnimalFarm

In April, Animal Farm wasproclaimedaRepublic,anditbecame necessary to elect aPresident.Therewasonlyone

Page 402: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

candidate, Napoleon, whowaselectedunanimously.Onthesamedayitwasgivenoutthat fresh documents hadbeen discovered whichrevealed further details aboutSnowball's complicity withJones. It now appeared thatSnowball had not, as theanimals had previouslyimagined, merely attemptedto lose the Battle of theCowshed by means of astratagem, but had been

Page 403: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

openly fighting on Jones'sside. In fact, it was he whohad actually been the leaderof thehumanforces,andhadcharged into battle with thewords"LongliveHumanity!"on his lips. The wounds onSnowball'sback,whichafewof the animals stillremembered to have seen,had been inflicted byNapoleon'steeth.

In themiddle of the summer

Page 404: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Moses the raven suddenlyreappearedon the farm, afteran absence of several years.Hewasquiteunchanged,stilldidnowork,andtalkedinthesame strain as ever aboutSugarcandy Mountain. Hewouldperchonastump,flaphis black wings, and talk bythe hour to anyone whowouldlisten.

"Up there, comrades," hewouldsaysolemnly,pointing

Page 405: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

totheskywithhislargebeak−"up there, just on the otherside of that dark cloud thatyou can see−there it lies,Sugarcandy Mountain, thathappycountrywherewepooranimals shall rest for everfrom our labours!" He evenclaimedtohavebeenthereononeofhishigher flights, andto have seen the everlastingfields of clover and thelinseed cake and lump sugargrowingonthehedges.Many

Page 406: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

of the animals believed him.Their lives now, theyreasoned, were hungry andlaborious;wasitnotrightandjustthatabetterworldshouldexist somewhere else? Athing that was difficult todeterminewas theattitudeofthepigstowardsMoses.Theyall declared contemptuouslythat his stories aboutSugarcandy Mountain werelies,andyettheyallowedhimto remain on the farm, not

Page 407: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

working, with an allowanceofagillofbeeraday.

Afterhishoofhadhealedup,Boxer worked harder thanever. Indeed, all the animalsworked like slaves that year.Apart from the regular workof the farm, and therebuilding of the windmill,therewastheschoolhouseforthe young pigs, which wasstarted in March. Sometimesthelonghoursoninsufficient

Page 408: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

food were hard to bear, butBoxer never faltered. Innothing that he said or didwas there any sign that hisstrength was not what it hadbeen. It was only hisappearance that was a littlealtered; his hide was lessshiny than it had used to be,and his great haunchesseemed to have shrunken.The others said, "Boxer willpickupwhenthespringgrasscomes on"; but the spring

Page 409: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

came and Boxer grew nofatter. Sometimes on theslopeleadingtothetopofthequarry, when he braced hismusclesagainsttheweightofsomevast boulder, it seemedthat nothing kept him on hisfeet except the will tocontinue. At such times hislips were seen to form thewords, "I will work harder";he had no voice left. Onceagain Clover and Benjaminwarned him to take care of

Page 410: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

hishealth,butBoxerpaidnoattention.Histwelfthbirthdaywas approaching.He did notcare what happened so longas a good store of stonewasaccumulated before he wentonpension.

Late one evening in thesummer,asuddenrumourranround the farm thatsomething had happened toBoxer.Hehadgoneoutalonetodraga loadof stonedown

Page 411: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

to the windmill. And sureenough,therumourwastrue.A few minutes later twopigeons came racing in withthe news: "Boxer has fallen!He is lying on his side andcan'tgetup!"

Abouthalftheanimalsonthefarm rushed out to the knollwhere the windmill stood.TherelayBoxer,betweentheshafts of the cart, his neckstretched out, unable even to

Page 412: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

raisehishead.Hiseyeswereglazed, his sidesmattedwithsweat.Athinstreamofbloodhadtrickledoutofhismouth.Clover dropped to her kneesathisside.

"Boxer!" she cried, "how areyou?"

"Itismylung,"saidBoxerina weak voice. "It does notmatter. I think you will beable to finish the windmill

Page 413: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

withoutme.There isaprettygood store of stoneaccumulated. I had onlyanother month to go in anycase. To tell you the truth, Ihad been looking forward tomy retirement. And perhaps,as Benjamin is growing oldtoo,theywilllethimretireatthe same time and be acompaniontome."IX

35

Page 414: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

AnimalFarm

"We must get help at once,"saidClover."Run,somebody,and tell Squealer what hashappened." All the otheranimals immediately racedbacktothefarmhousetogiveSquealer the news. OnlyClover remained, andBenjamin7 who lay down atBoxer's side, and, withoutspeaking, kept the flies offhim with his long tail. After

Page 415: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

about a quarter of an hourSquealer appeared, full ofsympathy and concern. Hesaid that Comrade Napoleonhad learned with the verydeepest distress of thismisfortunetooneofthemostloyal workers on the farm,and was already makingarrangements to send BoxertobetreatedinthehospitalatWillingdon. The animals felta littleuneasy at this.Exceptfor Mollie and Snowball, no

Page 416: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

otheranimalhadeverleftthefarm,andtheydidnotliketothinkoftheirsickcomradeinthe hands of human beings.However, Squealer easilyconvinced them that theveterinary surgeon inWillingdon could treatBoxer's case moresatisfactorily than could bedoneon the farm.Andabouthalf an hour later, whenBoxer had somewhatrecovered, he was with

Page 417: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

difficulty got on to his feet,andmanaged to limpback tohis stall, where Clover andBenjamin had prepared agoodbedofstrawforhim.

For the next two daysBoxerremainedinhisstall.Thepigshad sentout a largebottleofpinkmedicinewhichtheyhadfoundinthemedicinechestinthe bathroom, and Cloveradministered it to Boxertwiceadayaftermeals.Inthe

Page 418: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

evenings she lay in his stalland talked to him, whileBenjamin kept the flies offhim. Boxer professed not tobe sorry for what hadhappened. Ifhemadeagoodrecovery, hemight expect tolive another three years, andhe looked forward to thepeaceful days that he wouldspendinthecornerofthebigpasture. It would be the firsttimethathehadhadleisuretostudy and improve hismind.

Page 419: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

He intended, he said, todevote the rest of his life tolearningtheremainingtwenty−two letters of the alphabet.However, Benjamin andClover could only be withBoxer after working hours,and it was in the middle ofthedaywhenthevancametotake him away. The animalswere all at work weedingturnips under the supervisionof a pig, when they wereastonished to see Benjamin

Page 420: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

come galloping from thedirection of the farmbuildings, braying at the topof his voice. It was the firsttime that they had ever seenBenjamin excited−indeed, itwasthefirsttimethatanyonehad ever seen him gallop."Quick,quick!"heshouted.

"Come at once! They'retakingBoxeraway!"Withoutwaiting for orders from thepig, the animals broke off

Page 421: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

work and raced back to thefarm buildings. Sure enough,there in the yardwas a largeclosed van, drawn by twohorses, with lettering on itssideandasly−lookingmanina low−crowned bowler hatsitting on the driver's seat.AndBoxer'sstallwasempty.

The animals crowded roundthevan. "Good−bye,Boxer!"theychorused,"good−bye!"

Page 422: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

"Fools! Fools!" shoutedBenjamin, prancing roundthem and stamping the earthwithhissmallhoofs."Fools!

Do you not see what iswritten on the side of thatvan?"

That gave the animals pause,and therewasahush.Murielbegan to spell out thewords.But Benjamin pushed heraside and in the midst of a

Page 423: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

deadlysilenceheread:

" 'Alfred Simmonds, HorseSlaughterer and Glue Boiler,Willingdon. Dealer in Hidesand Bone−Meal. KennelsSupplied.' Do you notunderstand what that means?Theyare takingBoxer to theknacker's! " A cry of horrorburstfromalltheanimals.Atthis moment the man on thebox whipped up his horsesandthevanmovedoutofthe

Page 424: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

yard at a smart trot. All theanimals followed, crying outat the tops of their voices.Clover forcedherway to thefront. The van began togather speed. Clover tried tostir her stout limbs to agallop,andachievedacanter."Boxer!" she cried. "Boxer!Boxer! Boxer!" And just atthis moment, as though hehadheard theuproaroutside,Boxer's face, with the whitestripe down his nose,

Page 425: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

appearedatthesmallwindowatthebackofthevan.

IX

36

AnimalFarm

"Boxer!" cried Clover in aterrible voice. "Boxer! Getout!Getoutquickly!They'retakingyoutoyourdeath!"

Page 426: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

All the animals took up thecry of "Get out, Boxer, getout!"Butthevanwasalreadygathering speed and drawingaway from them. It wasuncertain whether Boxer hadunderstood what Clover hadsaid. But a moment later hisface disappeared from thewindow and there was thesound of a tremendousdrummingofhoofsinsidethevan.Hewastryingtokickhisway out. The time had been

Page 427: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

when a few kicks fromBoxer's hoofs would havesmashed the van tomatchwood. But alas! hisstrengthhadlefthim;andinafew moments the sound ofdrumminghoofsgrew fainteranddiedaway.Indesperationthe animals began appealingtothetwohorseswhichdrewthe van to stop. "Comrades,comrades!" they shouted."Don't takeyourownbrothertohisdeath!"But thestupid

Page 428: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

brutes, too ignorant to realisewhat was happening, merelyset back their ears andquickened theirpace.Boxer'sface did not reappear at thewindow. Too late, someonethought of racing ahead andshuttingthefive−barredgate;but in another moment thevan was through it andrapidly disappearing downthe road. Boxer was neverseenagain.

Page 429: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Three days later it wasannouncedthathehaddiedinthehospitalatWillingdon, inspite of receiving everyattention a horse could have.Squealer came to announcethe news to the others. Hehad, he said, been presentduringBoxer'slasthours.

"It was the most affectingsight I have ever seen!" saidSquealer, lifting his trotterand wiping away a tear. "I

Page 430: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

wasathisbedsideattheverylast. And at the end, almosttoo weak to speak, hewhispered inmy ear that hissole sorrow was to havepassedonbeforethewindmillwas finished. 'Forward,comrades!'hewhispered.

'Forward in the name of theRebellion. Long live AnimalFarm! Long live ComradeNapoleon! Napoleon isalways right.'Thosewerehis

Page 431: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

verylastwords,comrades."

Here Squealer's demeanoursuddenly changed. He fellsilent for a moment, and hislittle eyes darted suspiciousglances from side to sidebeforeheproceeded.

Ithadcometohisknowledge,he said, that a foolish andwicked rumour had beencirculated at the time ofBoxer'sremoval.Someofthe

Page 432: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

animals had noticed that thevan which took Boxer awaywas marked "HorseSlaughterer,"andhadactuallyjumpedtotheconclusionthatBoxer was being sent to theknacker's. It was almostunbelievable, said Squealer,that any animal could be sostupid. Surely, he criedindignantly,whisking his tailand skipping from side toside, surely they knew theirbeloved Leader, Comrade

Page 433: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Napoleon, better than that?But the explanation wasreally very simple. The vanhad previously been theproperty of the knacker, andhad been bought by theveterinary surgeon, who hadnot yet painted the old nameout. That was how themistakehadarisen.

Theanimalswereenormouslyrelieved to hear this. Andwhen Squealer went on to

Page 434: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

givefurthergraphicdetailsofBoxer's death−bed, theadmirable care he hadreceived, and the expensivemedicines for whichNapoleon had paidwithout athought as to the cost, theirlast doubts disappeared andthe sorrow that they felt fortheir comrade's death wastempered by the thought thatat least he had died happy.Napoleonhimselfappearedatthemeeting on the following

Page 435: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Sunday morning andpronouncedashortorationinBoxer's honour. It had notbeen possible, he said, tobring back their lamentedcomrade's remains forintermentonthefarm,buthehadorderedalargewreathtobe made from the laurels inthe farmhouse garden andsent down to be placed onBoxer's grave. And in a fewdays' time the pigs intendedtoholdamemorialbanquetin

Page 436: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Boxer's honour. Napoleonended his speech with areminder of Boxer's twofavourite maxims, "I willwork harder" and "ComradeNapoleon is alwaysright"−maxims, he said,whicheveryanimalwoulddowelltoadoptashisown.

IX

37

Page 437: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

AnimalFarm

On thedayappointed for thebanquet,agrocer'svandroveup from Willingdon anddelivered a large woodencrate at the farmhouse. Thatnight there was the sound ofuproarious singing, whichwas followed by whatsoundedlikeaviolentquarreland ended at about eleveno'clock with a tremendouscrashofglass.Noonestirred

Page 438: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

inthefarmhousebeforenoononthefollowingday,andtheword went round that fromsomewhere or other the pigshad acquired the money tobuy themselves another caseofwhisky.X

YEARS passed. The seasonscame and went, the shortanimal lives fled by. A timecamewhen therewasnoonewhorememberedtheolddaysbefore the Rebellion, except

Page 439: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Clover,Benjamin,Moses theraven, and a number of thepigs.

Muriel was dead; Bluebell,Jessie, and Pincher weredead. Jones toowasdead−hehaddiedinaninebriates'

home in another part of thecountry. Snowball wasforgotten. Boxer wasforgotten, except by the fewwho had known him. Clover

Page 440: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

was an old stout mare now,stiff in the joints and with atendencytorheumyeyes.Shewas two years past theretiring age, but in fact noanimal had ever actuallyretired. The talk of settingaside a corner of the pasturefor superannuated animalshad longsincebeendropped.Napoleon was now a matureboar of twenty−four stone.Squealer was so fat that hecould with difficulty see out

Page 441: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

of his eyes. Only oldBenjaminwasmuchthesameas ever, except for being alittlegreyeraboutthemuzzle,and, since Boxer's death,more morose and taciturnthanever.

There were many morecreatures on the farm now,though the increase was notsogreatashadbeenexpectedin earlier years. Manyanimals had been born to

Page 442: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

whomtheRebellionwasonlyadim tradition,passedonbyword of mouth, and othershad been bought who hadneverheardmentionofsuchathingbeforetheirarrival.Thefarm possessed three horsesnow besides Clover. Theywere fine upstanding beasts,willing workers and goodcomrades, but very stupid.Noneof themprovedable tolearnthealphabetbeyondtheletter B. They accepted

Page 443: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

everythingthattheyweretoldabout the Rebellion and theprinciples of Animalism,especially from Clover, forwhom they had an almostfilial respect; but it wasdoubtful whether theyunderstoodverymuchofit.

The farm was moreprosperous now, and betterorganised: it had even beenenlargedby two fieldswhichhad been bought from Mr.

Page 444: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Pilkington.Thewindmillhadbeen successfully completedat last, and the farmpossessed a threshingmachineandahayelevatorofits own, and various newbuildings had been added toit. Whymper had boughthimself a dogcart. Thewindmill, however, had notafter all been used forgeneratingelectricalpower.Itwas used for milling corn,and brought in a handsome

Page 445: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

money profit. The animalswere hard at work buildingyet another windmill; whenthat one was finished, so itwassaid, thedynamoswouldbe installed. But the luxuriesof which Snowball had oncetaught the animals to dream,the stalls with electric lightand hot and cold water, andthe three−dayweek,were nolonger talked about.Napoleon had denouncedsuch ideas as contrary to the

Page 446: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

spirit of Animalism. Thetruest happiness, he said, layin working hard and livingfrugally.

Somehow it seemed asthough the farm had grownricher without making theanimalsthemselvesanyricher−except, of course, for thepigs and the dogs. Perhapsthiswas partly because therewere so many pigs and somany dogs. It was not that

Page 447: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

these creatures did notwork,aftertheirfashion.Therewas,asSquealerwasnevertiredofexplaining, endless work inthe supervision andorganisation of the farm.Much of this work was of akind that the other animalswere too ignorant tounderstand. For example,Squealer told them that thepigshadtoexpendenormouslabours every day uponmysterious things called

Page 448: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

"files,""reports,"

"minutes,"and"memoranda."These were large sheets ofpaperwhichhadtobecloselycovered with writing, and assoonastheyweresocovered,they were burnt in thefurnace. This was of thehighest importance for thewelfareof thefarm,Squealersaid.Butstill,neitherpigsnordogs produced any food bytheirownlabour;X

Page 449: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

38

AnimalFarm

and therewereverymanyofthem,andtheirappetiteswerealways good. As for theothers, their life, so far asthey knew, was as it hadalways been. They weregenerally hungry, they sleptonstraw,theydrankfromthepool, they laboured in thefields; in winter they were

Page 450: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

troubled by the cold, and insummer by the flies.Sometimes the older onesamongthemrackedtheirdimmemories and tried todetermine whether in theearly days of the Rebellion,when Jones's expulsion wasstill recent, things had beenbetter or worse than now.They could not remember.There was nothing withwhich they could comparetheir present lives: they had

Page 451: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

nothing to go upon exceptSquealer's lists of figures,which invariablydemonstrated that everythingwasgettingbetter andbetter.The animals found theproblem insoluble; in anycase, they had little time forspeculating on such thingsnow. Only old Benjaminprofessed to remember everydetail of his long life and toknow that things never hadbeen,norevercouldbemuch

Page 452: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

betterormuchworse−hunger,hardship, and disappointmentbeing, so he said, theunalterable law of life. Andyettheanimalsnevergaveuphope. More, they never lost,even for an instant, theirsenseofhonourandprivilegein beingmembers ofAnimalFarm. They were still theonlyfarminthewholecounty−in all England!−owned andoperatedbyanimals.Notoneof them, not even the

Page 453: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

youngest, not even thenewcomers who had beenbrought from farms ten ortwenty miles away, everceasedtomarvelatthat.Andwhen they heard the gunbooming and saw the greenflag fluttering at themasthead,theirheartsswelledwith imperishable pride, andthe talk turned alwaystowards the old heroic days,the expulsion of Jones, thewriting of the Seven

Page 454: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Commandments, the greatbattles in which the humaninvaders had been defeated.None of the old dreams hadbeen abandoned. TheRepublic of the Animalswhich Major had foretold,when the green fields ofEngland shouldbeuntroddenby human feet, was stillbelieved in.Someday itwascoming:itmightnotbesoon,it might not be with in thelifetime of any animal now

Page 455: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

living,butstillitwascoming.Even the tune of Beasts ofEngland was perhapshummed secretly here andthere:atanyrate,itwasafactthateveryanimalonthefarmknewit,thoughnoonewouldhavedaredtosingitaloud.Itmightbethattheirliveswerehard and that not all of theirhopes had been fulfilled; buttheywereconsciousthattheywere not as other animals. Iftheywent hungry, itwas not

Page 456: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

from feeding tyrannicalhumanbeings;iftheyworkedhard,atleasttheyworkedforthemselves. No creatureamong them went upon twolegs. No creature called anyother creature "Master." Allanimalswereequal.

One day in early summerSquealerorderedthesheeptofollowhim,andledthemouttoapieceofwastegroundatthe other end of the farm,

Page 457: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

whichhadbecomeovergrownwith birch saplings. Thesheep spent the whole daythere browsing at the leavesunder Squealer's supervision.In theeveninghe returned tothefarmhousehimself,but,asitwaswarmweather,toldthesheep to stay where theywere. It ended by theirremaining there for a wholeweek, during which time theotheranimals sawnothingofthem.Squealerwaswiththem

Page 458: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

for the greater part of everyday. He was, he said,teaching them to sing a newsong, for which privacy wasneeded.

Itwasjustafterthesheephadreturned, on a pleasantevening when the animalshad finished work and weremakingtheirwaybacktothefarm buildings, that theterrified neighing of a horsesounded from the yard.

Page 459: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Startled, the animals stoppedintheirtracks.ItwasClover'svoice.Sheneighedagain,andall the animals broke into agallop and rushed into theyard. Then they saw whatCloverhadseen.Itwasapigwalkingonhishindlegs.

Yes, itwasSquealer.A littleawkwardly, as though notquite used to supporting hisconsiderable bulk in thatposition, but with perfect

Page 460: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

balance, he was strollingacross the yard. And amoment later, out from thedoorofthefarmhousecamealong file of pigs, all walkingontheirhindlegs.Somediditbetterthanothers,oneortwowere even a trifle unsteadyand looked as though theywouldhave liked the supportof a stick, but every one ofthem made his way rightround the yard successfully.And finally there was a

Page 461: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

tremendous baying of dogsandashrillcrowingfromtheblackcockerel, andoutcameNapoleon himself,majesticallyupright,X

39

AnimalFarm

castinghaughtyglances fromsidetoside,andwithhisdogsgambolling round him. Hecarriedawhipinhistrotter.

Page 462: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

There was a deadly silence.Amazed, terrified, huddlingtogether,theanimalswatchedthe long line of pigs marchslowlyroundtheyard.Itwasas though the world hadturned upside−down. Thenthere came a moment whenthe first shock had worn offand when, in spite ofeverything−in spite of theirterrorof thedogs,andof thehabit,developedthroughlongyears, of never complaining,

Page 463: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

never criticising, no matterwhat happened−they mighthave uttered some word ofprotest. But just at thatmoment, as though at asignal,allthesheepburstoutintoatremendousbleatingof−

"Four legs good, two legsbetter! Four legs good, twolegs better! Four legs good,two legs better!" It went onfor five minutes without

Page 464: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

stopping.Andbythetimethesheep had quieted down, thechance to utter any protesthad passed, for the pigs hadmarched back into thefarmhouse. Benjamin felt anosenuzzlingathisshoulder.He looked round. It wasClover. Her old eyes lookeddimmer than ever. Withoutsaying anything, she tuggedgently at his mane and ledhim round to the end of thebig barn, where the Seven

Page 465: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Commandmentswerewritten.For a minute or two theystoodgazingatthetattedwallwithitswhitelettering.

"Mysightisfailing,"shesaidfinally. "Even when I wasyoung I could not have readwhatwaswrittenthere.Butitappears to me that that walllooksdifferent.AretheSevenCommandments the same astheyusedtobe,Benjamin?"

Page 466: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

ForonceBenjaminconsentedtobreakhisrule,andhereadout to her what was writtenon the wall. There wasnothing there now except asingleCommandment.Itran:

Page 467: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

ALLANIMALSAREEQUALBUTSOMEANIMALSAREMORE EQUAL THANOTHERS

After that it did not seemstrange when next day the

Page 468: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

pigs who were supervisingthe work of the farm allcarriedwhipsintheirtrotters.It did not seem strange tolearnthatthepigshadboughtthemselves a wireless set,were arranging to install atelephone, and had taken outsubscriptions to John Bull,TitBits,andtheDailyMirror.Itdidnot seemstrangewhenNapoleon was seen strollinginthefarmhousegardenwitha pipe in his mouth−no, not

Page 469: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

evenwhen the pigs tookMr.Jones's clothes out of thewardrobes and put them on,Napoleon himself appearingin a black coat, ratcatcherbreeches, and leatherleggings, while his favouritesow appeared in the wateredsilk dress which Mrs. Joneshad been used to wear onSundays.Aweeklater,intheafternoon, a number ofdogcartsdroveuptothefarm.Adeputationofneighbouring

Page 470: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

farmers had been invited tomake a tour of inspection.Theywereshownalloverthefarm, and expressed greatadmiration for everythingthey saw, especially thewindmill. The animals wereweeding the turnip field.They worked diligentlyhardly raising their facesfrom the ground, and notknowingwhether to bemorefrightened of the pigs or ofthehumanvisitors.

Page 471: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

That evening loud laughterand bursts of singing camefrom the farmhouse. Andsuddenly, at the soundof themingled voices, the animalswere stricken with curiosity.What could be happening inthere, now that for the firsttime animals and humanbeingsweremeetingontermsofequality?Withoneaccordtheybegantocreepasquietlyas possible into thefarmhousegarden.

Page 472: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

X

40

AnimalFarm

At the gate they paused, halffrightened to go on butClover led the way in. Theytiptoed up to the house, andsuch animals as were tallenough peered in at thedining−roomwindow. There,round the long table, sat half

Page 473: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

a dozen farmers and half adozen of the more eminentpigs, Napoleon himselfoccupying the seatofhonourat the head of the table. Thepigs appeared completely atease in their chairs Thecompanyhadbeenenjoyingagameofcardsbuthadbrokenoffforthemoment,evidentlyin order to drink a toast. Alargejugwascirculating,andthemugs were being refilledwithbeer.Noonenoticedthe

Page 474: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

wondering faces of theanimals that gazed in at thewindow.

Mr. Pilkington, of Foxwood,had stood up, hismug in hishand. In a moment, he said,he would ask the presentcompanytodrinkatoast.Butbeforedoingso, therewereafew words that he felt itincumbentuponhimtosay.

It was a source of great

Page 475: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

satisfaction to him, he said−and, he was sure, to allothers present−to feel that along period of mistrust andmisunderstanding had nowcome to an end. There hadbeen a time−not that he, orany of the present company,had shared such sentiments−but there had been a timewhen the respectedproprietors of Animal Farmhad been regarded, hewouldnot say with hostility, but

Page 476: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

perhaps with a certainmeasure of misgiving, bytheir human neighbours.Unfortunate incidents hadoccurred,mistaken ideas hadbeencurrent. It hadbeen feltthat the existence of a farmowned and operated by pigswas somehow abnormal andwas liable to have anunsettling effect in theneighbourhood. Too manyfarmershadassumed,withoutdue enquiry, that on such a

Page 477: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

farm a spirit of licence andindiscipline would prevail.Theyhadbeennervousaboutthe effects upon their ownanimals, or even upon theirhuman employees. But allsuch doubts were nowdispelled. Today he and hisfriends had visited AnimalFarm and inspected everyinchofitwiththeirowneyes,and what did they find? Notonly the most up−to−datemethods,butadisciplineand

Page 478: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

an orderliness which shouldbe an example to all farmerseverywhere.Hebelieved thathewasrightinsayingthatthelower animals on AnimalFarm did more work andreceived less food than anyanimalsinthecounty.Indeed,he and his fellow−visitorstoday had observed manyfeatures which they intendedto introduce on their ownfarmsimmediately.

Page 479: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Hewouldendhisremarks,hesaid, by emphasising onceagain the friendly feelingsthat subsisted, and ought tosubsist, between AnimalFarm and its neighbours.Between pigs and humanbeings there was not, andthere need not be, any clashof interests whatever. Theirstrugglesandtheirdifficultieswereone.Wasnotthelabourproblem the sameeverywhere? Here it became

Page 480: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

apparent that Mr. Pilkingtonwas about to spring somecarefully prepared witticismon the company, but for amomenthewastooovercomeby amusement to be able toutter it. Aftermuch choking,during which his variouschins turned purple, hemanagedtogetitout:

"If you have your loweranimals to contendwith," hesaid, "we have our lower

Page 481: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

classes!"Thisbonmotsetthetable in a roar; and Mr.Pilkington once againcongratulated the pigs on thelowrations,thelongworkinghours, and the generalabsence of pampering whichhe had observed on AnimalFarm. And now, he saidfinally, he would ask thecompany to rise to their feetand make certain that theirglasses were full."Gentlemen," concluded Mr.

Page 482: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Pilkington,"gentlemen,Igiveyouatoast:TotheprosperityofAnimalFarm!"

There was enthusiasticcheering and stamping offeet. Napoleon was sogratifiedthathelefthisplaceand came round the table toclink his mug against Mr.Pilkington's before emptyingit. When the cheering haddied down, Napoleon, whohad remained on his feet,

Page 483: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

intimated that he too had afewwords tosay.LikeallofNapoleon's speeches, it wasshortandtothepoint.Hetoo,he said, was happy that theperiod of misunderstandingwasatanend.Foralongtimethere had been rumours−circulated, he had reason tothink, by some malignantenemy−that there wassomething subversive andeven revolutionary in theoutlook of himself and his

Page 484: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

colleagues. They had beencredited with attempting tostir up rebellion among theanimals on neighbouringfarms. Nothing could befurther from the truth! Theirsole wish, now and in thepast,wastoliveX

41

AnimalFarm

at peace and in normal

Page 485: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

business relations with theirneighbours. This farm whichhehad thehonour tocontrol,headded,wasaco−operativeenterprise. The title−deeds,which were in his ownpossession, were owned bythepigsjointly.

He did not believe, he said,thatanyoftheoldsuspicionsstill lingered, but certainchanges had been maderecently in the routine of the

Page 486: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

farm which should have theeffect of promotingconfidence stiff further.Hitherto the animals on thefarmhadhada rather foolishcustom of addressing oneanother as "Comrade." Thiswas to be suppressed. Therehad also been a very strangecustom, whose origin wasunknown, of marching everySundaymorningpastaboar'sskull which was nailed to apost in the garden.This, too,

Page 487: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

wouldbesuppressed,andtheskullhadalreadybeenburied.His visitors might haveobserved, too, the green flagwhich flew from themasthead. If so, they wouldperhaps have noted that thewhite hoof and horn withwhich it had previously beenmarked had now beenremoved. Itwouldbe aplaingreenflagfromnowonwards.Hehadonlyonecriticism,hesaid, to make of Mr.

Page 488: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

Pilkington's excellent andneighbourly speech. Mr.Pilkington had referredthroughoutto"AnimalFarm."Hecouldnotofcourseknow−for he, Napoleon, was onlynow for the first timeannouncing it−that the name"Animal Farm" had beenabolished. Henceforward thefarm was to be known as"TheManorFarm"−which,hebelieved, was its correct andoriginalname.

Page 489: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

"Gentlemen," concludedNapoleon, "I will give youthe same toast as before, butin a different form. Fill yourglasses to the brim.Gentlemen, here ismy toast:To the prosperity of TheManorFarm!"Therewasthesame hearty cheering asbefore, and the mugs wereemptied to the dregs. But asthe animals outside gazed atthe scene, it seemed to themthat some strange thing was

Page 490: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

happening. What was it thathadalteredinthefacesofthepigs? Clover's old dim eyesflitted from one face toanother. Some of them hadfive chins, some had four,somehadthree.Butwhatwasit that seemed to be meltingand changing? Then, theapplause having come to anend, the company took uptheir cards and continued thegame that had beeninterrupted, and the animals

Page 491: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

creptsilentlyaway.

Buttheyhadnotgonetwentyyards when they stoppedshort. An uproar of voiceswas coming from thefarmhouse.Theyrushedbackand looked through thewindowagain.Yes,aviolentquarrel was in progress.There were shoutings,bangings on the table, sharpsuspicious glances, furiousdenials. The source of the

Page 492: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

trouble appeared to be thatNapoleonandMr.Pilkingtonhad each played an ace ofspades simultaneously.Twelve voiceswere shoutingin anger, and they were allalike.Noquestion,now,whathad happened to the faces ofthe pigs. The creaturesoutside looked from pig toman, and from man to pig,and from pig to man again;butalready itwas impossibletosaywhichwaswhich.

Page 493: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

X

42

Page 494: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

DocumentOutline

TableofContentsAnimalFarm

GeorgeOrwellIIIIIIIV

Page 495: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

VVIVIIVIIIIXX

Page 496: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

TableofContents

AnimalFarm.........................................................................................

II..................................................................................................III.................................................................................................IV..................................................................................................V...................................................................................................VI..................................................................................................VII.................................................................................................

Page 497: Animal Farm - WordPress.com · 2018-08-28 · Animal Farm George Orwell Animal Farm Table of Contents Animal Farm.....1 George Orwell.....1

VIII................................................................................................IX..................................................................................................X...................................................................................................TableofContents