A cry of
lamentation
went up.
Orwell - Animal Farm
Fountain of happiness !
Lord of the swill-bucket! Oh, how my soul is on
Fire when I gaze at thy
Calm and commanding eye,
Like the sun in the sky,
Comrade Napoleon!
Thou are the giver of
All that thy creatures love,
Full belly twice a day, clean straw to roll upon;
Every beast great or small
Sleeps at peace in his stall,
Thou watchest over all,
Comrade Napoleon!
Had I a sucking-pig,
Ere he had grown as big
Even as a pint bottle or as a rolling-pin,
He should have learned to be
Faithful and true to thee,
Yes, his first squeak should be
"Comrade Napoleon! "
Napoleon approved of this poem and caused it to be inscribed on the
wall of the big barn, at the opposite end from the Seven
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Commandments. It was surmounted by a portrait of Napoleon, in
profile, executed by Squealer in white paint.
Meanwhile, through the agency of Whymper, Napoleon was engaged in
complicated negotiations with Frederick and Pilkington. The pile of
timber was still unsold. Of the two, Frederick was the more anxious to
get hold of it, but he would not offer a reasonable price. At the same
time there were renewed rumours that Frederick and his men were
plotting to attack Animal Farm and to destroy the windmill, the
building of which had aroused furious jealousy in him. Snowball was
known to be still skulking on Pinchfield Farm. In the middle of the
summer the animals were alarmed to hear that three hens had come
forward and confessed that, inspired by Snowball, they had entered into
a plot to murder Napoleon. They were executed immediately, and fresh
precautions for Napoleon's safety were taken. Four dogs guarded his
bed at night, one at each corner, and a young pig named Pinkeye was
given the task of tasting all his food before he ate it, lest it should be
poisoned.
At about the same time it was given out that Napoleon had arranged to
sell the pile of timber to Mr. Pilkington; he was also going to enter into
a regular agreement for the exchange of certain products between
Animal Farm and Foxwood. The relations between Napoleon and
Pilkington, though they were only conducted through Whymper, were
now almost friendly. The animals distrusted Pilkington, as a human
being, but greatly preferred him to Frederick, whom they both feared
and hated. As the summer wore on, and the windmill neared
completion, the rumours of an impending treacherous attack grew
stronger and stronger. Frederick, it was said, intended to bring against
them twenty men all armed with guns, and he had already bribed the
magistrates and police, so that if he could once get hold of the
title-deeds of Animal Farm they would ask no questions. Moreover,
terrible stories were leaking out from Pinchfield about the cruelties that
Frederick practised upon his animals. He had flogged an old horse to
death, he starved his cows, he had killed a dog by throwing it into the
furnace, he amused himself in the evenings by making cocks fight with
splinters of razor- blade tied to their spurs. The animals' blood boiled
with rage when they heard of these things beingdone to their comrades,
and sometimes they clamoured to be allowed to go out in a body and
attack Pinchfield Farm, drive out the humans, and set the animals free.
But Squealer counselled them to avoid rash actions and trust in
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Comrade Napoleon's strategy.
Nevertheless, feeling against Frederick continued to run high. One
Sunday morning Napoleon appeared in the barn and explained that he
had never at any time contemplated selling the pile of timber to
Frederick; he considered it beneath his dignity, he said, to have dealings
with scoundrels of that description. The pigeons who were still sent out
to spread tidings of the Rebellion were forbidden to set foot anywhere
on Foxwood, and were also ordered to drop their former slogan of
"Death to Humanity" in favour of "Death to Frederick. " In the late
summer yet another of Snowball’s machinations was laid bare. The
wheat crop was full of weeds, and it was discovered that on one of his
nocturnal visits Snowball had mixed weed seeds with the seed corn. A
gander who had been privy to the plot had confessed his guilt to
Squealer and immediately committed suicide by swallowing deadly
nightshade berries. The animals now also learned that Snowball had
never-as many of them had believed hitherto-received the order of
"Animal Hero7 First Class. " This was merely a legend which had been
spread some time after the Battle of the Cowshed by Snowball himself.
So far from being decorated, he had been censured for showing
cowardice in the battle. Once again some of the animals heard this with
a certain bewilderment, but Squealer was soon able to convince them
that their memories had been at fault.
In the autumn, by a tremendous, exhausting effort-for the harvest had to
be gathered at almost the same time-the windmill was finished. The
machinery had still to be installed, and Whymper was negotiating the
purchase of it, but the structure was completed. In the teeth of every
difficulty, in spite of inexperience, of primitive implements, of bad luck
and of Snowball's treachery, the work had been finished punctually to
the very day! Tired out but proud, the animals walked round and round
their masterpiece, which appeared even more beautiful in their eyes
than when it had been built the first time. Moreover, the walls were
twice as thick as before. Nothing short of explosives would lay them
low this time ! And when they thought of how they had laboured, what
discouragements they had overcome, and the enormous difference that
would be made in their lives when the sails were turning and the
dynamos running-when they thought of all this, their tiredness forsook
them and they gambolled round and round the windmill, uttering cries
of triumph. Napoleon himself, attended by his dogs and his cockerel,
came down to inspect the completed work; he personally congratulated
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the animals on their achievement, and announced that the mill would be
named Napoleon Mill.
Two days later the animals were called together for a special meeting in
the barn. They were struck dumb with surprise when Napoleon
announced that he had sold the pile of timber to Frederick. Tomorrow
Frederick's wagons would arrive and begin carting it away. Throughout
the whole period of his seeming friendship with Pilkington, Napoleon
had really been in secret agreement with Frederick.
All relations with Foxwood had been broken off; insulting messages
had been sent to Pilkington. The pigeons had been told to avoid
Pinchfield Farm and to alter their slogan from "Death to Frederick" to
"Death to Pilkington. " At the same time Napoleon assured the animals
that the stories of an impending attack on Animal Farm were
completely untrue, and that the tales about Frederick's cruelty to his
own animals had been greatly exaggerated. All these rumours had
probably originated with Snowball and his agents. It now appeared that
Snowball was not, after all, hiding on Pinchfield Farm, and in fact had
never been there in his life: he was living-in considerable luxury, so it
was said-at Foxwood, and had in reality been a pensioner of Pilkington
for years past.
The pigs were in ecstasies over Napoleon's cunning. By seeming to be
friendly with Pilkington he had forced Frederick to raise his price by
twelve pounds. But the superior quality of Napoleon's mind, said
Squealer, was shown in the fact that he trusted nobody, not even
Frederick. Frederick had wanted to pay for the timber with something
called a cheque, which, it seemed, was a piece of paper with a promise
to pay written upon it. But Napoleon was too clever for him. He had
demanded payment in real five-pound notes, which were to be handed
over before the timber was removed. Already Frederick had paid up;
and the sum he had paid was just enough to buy the machinery for the
windmill.
Meanwhile the timber was being carted away at high speed. When it
was all gone, another special meeting was held in the barn for the
animals to inspect Frederick's bank-notes. Smiling beatifically, and
wearing both his decorations, Napoleon reposed on a bed of straw on
the platform, with the money at his side, neatly piled on a china dish
from the farmhouse kitchen. The animals filed slowly past, and each
gazed his fill. And Boxer put out his nose to sniff at the bank-notes, and
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the flimsy white things stirred and rustled in his breath.
Three days later there was a terrible hullabaloo. Whymper, his face
deadly pale, came racing up the path on his bicycle, flung it down in the
yard and rushed straight into the farmhouse. The next moment a
choking roar of rage sounded from Napoleon's apartments. The news of
what had happened sped round the farm like wildfire. The banknotes
were forgeries ! Frederick had got the timber for nothing !
Napoleon called the animals together immediately and in a terrible
voice pronounced the death sentence upon Frederick. When captured,
he said, Frederick should be boiled alive. At the same time he warned
them that after this treacherous deed the worst was to be expected.
Frederick and his men might make their long-expected attack at any
moment. Sentinels were placed at all the approaches to the farm. In
addition, four pigeons were sent to Foxwood with a conciliatory
message, which it was hoped might re-establish good relations with
Pilkington.
The very next morning the attack came. The animals were at breakfast
when the look-outs came racing in with the news that Frederick and his
followers had already come through the five-barred gate. Boldly
enough the animals sallied forth to meet them, but this time they did not
have the easy victory that they had had in the Battle of the Cowshed.
There were fifteen men, with half a dozen guns between them, and they
opened fire as soon as they got within fifty yards. The animals could
not face the terrible explosions and the stinging pellets, and in spite of
the efforts of Napoleon and Boxer to rally them, they were soon driven
back. A number of them were already wounded. They took refuge in
the farm buildings and peeped cautiously out from chinks and
knot-holes. The whole of the big pasture, including the windmill, was
in the hands of the enemy. For the moment even Napoleon seemed at a
loss. He paced up and down without a word, his tail rigid and twitching.
Wistful glances were sent in the direction of Foxwood. If Pilkington
and his men would help them, the day might yet be won. But at this
moment the four pigeons, who had been sent out on the day before,
returned, one of them bearing a scrap of paper from Pilkington. On it
was pencilled the words: "Serves you right. "
Meanwhile Frederick and his men had halted about the windmill. The
animals watched them, and a murmur of dismay went round. Two of
the men had produced a crowbar and a sledge hammer. They were
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going to knock the windmill down.
"Impossible! " cried Napoleon. "We have built the walls far too thick for
that. They could not knock it down in a week. Courage, comrades ! "
But Benjamin was watching the movements of the men intently. The
two with the hammer and the crowbar were drilling a hole near the base
of the windmill. Slowly, and with an air almost of amusement,
Benjamin nodded his long muzzle.
"I thought so," he said. "Do you not see what they are doing? In another
moment they are going to pack blasting powder into that hole. "
Terrified, the animals waited. It was impossible now to venture out of
the shelter of the buildings. After a few minutes the men were seen to
be running in all directions. Then there was a deafening roar. The
pigeons swirled into the air, and all the animals, except Napoleon, flung
themselves flat on their bellies and hid their faces. When they got up
again, a huge cloud of black smoke was hanging where the windmill
had been. Slowly the breeze drifted it away. The windmill had ceased
to exist!
At this sight the animals' courage returned to them. The fear and
despair they had felt a moment earlier were drowned in their rage
against this vile, contemptible act. A mighty cry for vengeance went up,
and without waiting for further orders they charged forth in a body and
made straight for the enemy. This time they did not heed the cruel
pellets that swept over them like hail. It was a savage, bitter battle. The
men fired again and again, and, when the animals got to close quarters,
lashed out with their sticks and their heavy boots. A cow, three sheep,
and two geese were killed, and nearly everyone was wounded. Even
Napoleon, who was directing operations from the rear, had the tip of his
tail chipped by a pellet. But the men did not go unscathed either. Three
of them had their heads broken by blows from Boxer's hoofs; another
was gored in the belly by a cow's horn; another had his trousers nearly
torn off by Jessie and Bluebell. And when the nine dogs of Napoleon's
own bodyguard, whom he had instructed to make a detour under cover
of the hedge, suddenly appeared on the men's flank, baying ferociously,
panic overtook them. They saw that they were in danger of being
surrounded. Frederick shouted to his men to get out while the going
was good, and the next moment the cowardly enemy was running for
dear life. The animals chased them right down to the bottom of the
field, and got in some last kicks at them as they forced their way
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through the thorn hedge.
They had won, but they were weary and bleeding. Slowly they began to
limp back towards the farm. The sight of their dead comrades stretched
upon the grass moved some of them to tears. And for a little while they
halted in sorrowful silence at the place where the windmill had once
stood. Yes, it was gone; almost the last trace of their labour was gone!
Even the foundations were partially destroyed. And in rebuilding it they
could not this time, as before, make use of the fallen stones. This time
the stones had vanished too. The force of the explosion had flung them
to distances of hundreds of yards. It was as though the windmill had
never been.
As they approached the farm Squealer, who had unaccountably been
absent during the fighting, came skipping towards them, whisking his
tail and beaming with satisfaction. And the animals heard, from the
direction of the farm buildings, the solemn booming of a gun.
"What is that gun firing for? " said Boxer.
"To celebrate our victory! " cried Squealer.
"What victory? " said Boxer. His knees were bleeding, he had lost a
shoe and split his hoof, and a dozen pellets had lodged themselves in
his hind leg.
"What victory, comrade? Have we not driven the enemy off our soil-the
sacred soil of Animal Farm? "
"But they have destroyed the windmill. And we had worked on it for
two years ! "
"What matter? We will build another windmill. We will build six
windmills if we feel like it. You do not appreciate, comrade, the mighty
thing that we have done. The enemy was in occupation of this very
ground that we stand upon. And now-thanks to the leadership of
Comrade Napoleon-we have won every inch of it back again! "
"Then we have won back what we had before," said Boxer.
"That is our victory," said Squealer.
They limped into the yard. The pellets under the skin of Boxer's leg
smarted painfully. He saw ahead of him the heavy labour of rebuilding
the windmill from the foundations, and already in imagination he
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braced himself for the task. But for the first time it occurred to him that
he was eleven years old and that perhaps his great muscles were not
quite what they had once been.
But when the animals saw the green flag flying, and heard the gun
firing again-seven times it was fired in all-and heard the speech that
Napoleon made, congratulating them on their conduct, it did seem to
them after all that they had won a great victory. The animals slain in the
battle were given a solemn funeral. Boxer and Clover pulled the wagon
which served as a hearse, and Napoleon himself walked at the head of
the procession. Two whole days were given over to celebrations. There
were songs, speeches, and more firing of the gun, and a special gift of
an apple was bestowed on every animal, with two ounces of corn for
each bird and three biscuits for each dog. It was announced that the
battle would be called the Battle of the Windmill, and that Napoleon
had created a new decoration, the Order of the Green Banner, which he
had conferred upon himself. In the general rejoicings the unfortunate
affair of the banknotes was forgotten.
It was a few days later than this that the pigs came upon a case of
whisky in the cellars of the farmhouse. It had been overlooked at the
time when the house was first occupied. That night there came from the
farmhouse the sound of loud singing, in which, to everyone's surprise,
the strains of Beasts of England were mixed up. At about half past nine
Napoleon, wearing an old bowler hat of Mr. Jones's, was distinctly seen
to emerge from the back door, gallop rapidly round the yard, and
disappear indoors again. But in the morning a deep silence hung over
the farmhouse. Not a pig appeared to be stirring. It was nearly nine
o'clock when Squealer made his appearance, walking slowly and
dejectedly, his eyes dull, his tail hanging limply behind him, and with
every appearance of being seriously ill. He called the animals together
and told them that he had a terrible piece of news to impart. Comrade
Napoleon was dying!
A cry of lamentation went up. Straw was laid down outside the doors of
the farmhouse, and the animals walked on tiptoe. With tears in their
eyes they asked one another what they should do if their Leader were
taken away from them. A rumour went round that Snowball had after
all contrived to introduce poison into Napoleon's food. At eleven
o'clock Squealer came out to make another announcement. As his last
act upon earth, Comrade Napoleon had pronounced a solemn decree:
the drinking of alcohol was to be punished by death.
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By the evening, however, Napoleon appeared to be somewhat better,
and the following morning Squealer was able to tell them that he was
well on the way to recovery. By the evening of that day Napoleon was
back at work, and on the next day it was learned that he had instructed
Whymper to purchase in Willingdon some booklets on brewing and
distilling. A week later Napoleon gave orders that the small paddock
beyond the orchard, which it had previously been intended to set aside
as a grazing-ground for animals who were past work, was to be
ploughed up. It was given out that the pasture was exhausted and
needed re-seeding; but it soon became known that Napoleon intended
to sow it with barley.
About this time there occurred a strange incident which hardly anyone
was able to understand. One night at about twelve o'clock there was a
loud crash in the yard, and the animals rushed out of their stalls. It was
a moonlit night. At the foot of the end wall of the big barn, where the
Seven Commandments were written, there lay a ladder broken in two
pieces. Squealer, temporarily stunned, was sprawling beside it, and near
at hand there lay a lantern, a paint-brush, and an overturned pot of
white paint. The dogs immediately made a ring round Squealer, and
escorted him back to the farmhouse as soon as he was able to walk.
None of the animals could form any idea as to what this meant, except
old Benjamin, who nodded his muzzle with a knowing air, and seemed
to understand, but would say nothing.
But a few days later Muriel, reading over the Seven Commandments to
herself, noticed that there was yet another of them which the animals
had remembered wrong. They had thought the Fifth Commandment
was "No animal shall drink alcohol," but there were two words that
they had forgotten. Actually the Commandment read: "No animal shall
drink alcohol to excess. "
IX
BOXER'S split hoof was a long time in healing. They had started the
rebuilding of the windmill the day after the victory celebrations were
ended Boxer refused to take even a day off work, and made it a point of
honour not to let it be seen that he was in pain. In the evenings he
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would admit privately to Clover that the hoof troubled him a great deal.
Clover treated the hoof with poultices of herbs which she prepared by
chewing them, and both she and Benjamin urged Boxer to work less
hard. "A horse's lungs do not last for ever," she said to him. But Boxer
would not listen. He had, he said, only one real ambition left-to see the
windmill well under way before he reached the age for retirement.
At the beginning, when the laws of Animal Farm were first formulated,
the retiring age had been fixed for horses and pigs at twelve, for cows at
fourteen, for dogs at nine, for sheep at seven, and for hens and geese at
five. Liberal old-age pensions had been agreed upon. As yet no animal
had actually retired on pension, but of late the subject had been
discussed more and more. Now that the small field beyond the orchard
had been set aside for barley, it was rumoured that a corner of the large
pasture was to be fenced off and turned into a grazing-ground for
superannuated animals. For a horse, it was said, the pension would be
five pounds of corn a day and, in winter, fifteen pounds of hay, with a
carrot or possibly an apple on public holidays. Boxer's twelfth birthday
was due in the late summer of the following year.
Meanwhile life was hard. The winter was as cold as the last one had
been, and food was even shorter. Once again all rations were reduced,
except those of the pigs and the dogs. A too rigid equality in rations,
Squealer explained, would have been contrary to the principles of
Animalism. In any case he had no difficulty in proving to the other
animals that they were not in reality short of food, whatever the
appearances might be. For the time being, certainly, it had been found
necessary to make a readjustment of rations (Squealer always spoke of
it as a "readjustment," never as a "reduction"), but in comparison with
the days of Jones, the improvement was enormous. Reading out the
figures in a shrill, rapid voice, he proved to them in detail that they had
more oats, more hay, more turnips than they had had in Jones's day, that
they worked shorter hours, that their drinking water was of better
quality, that they lived longer, that a larger proportion of their young
ones survived infancy, and that they had more straw in their stalls and
suffered less from fleas. The animals believed every word of it. Truth to
tell, Jones and all he stood for had almost faded out of their memories.
They knew that life nowadays was harsh and bare, that they were often
hungry and often cold, and that they were usually working when they
were not asleep. But doubtless it had been worse in the old days. They
were glad to believe so. Besides, in those days they had been slaves and
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now they were free, and that made all the difference, as Squealer did
not fail to point out.
There were many more mouths to feed now. In the autumn the four
sows had all littered about simultaneously, producing thirty-one young
pigs between them. The young pigs were piebald, and as Napoleon was
the only boar on the farm, it was possible to guess at their parentage. It
was announced that later, when bricks and timber had been purchased,
a schoolroom would be built in the farmhouse garden. For the time
being, the young pigs were given their instruction by Napoleon himself
in the farmhouse kitchen. They took their exercise in the garden, and
were discouraged from playing with the other young animals. About
this time, too, it was laid down as a rule that when a pig and any other
animal met on the path, the other animal must stand aside: and also that
all pigs, of whatever degree, were to have the privilege of wearing
green ribbons on their tails on Sundays.
The farm had had a fairly successful year, but was still short of money.
There were the bricks, sand, and lime for the schoolroom to be
purchased, and it would also be necessary to begin saving up again for
the machinery for the windmill. Then there were lamp oil and candles
for the house, sugar for Napoleon's own table (he forbade this to the
other pigs, on the ground that it made them fat), and all the usual
replacements such as tools, nails, string, coal, wire, scrap-iron, and dog
biscuits. A stump of hay and part of the potato crop were sold off, and
the contract for eggs was increased to six hundred a week, so that that
year the hens barely hatched enough chicks to keep their numbers at the
same level. Rations, reduced in December, were reduced again in
February, and lanterns in the stalls were forbidden to save Oil. But the
pigs seemed comfortable enough, and in fact were putting on weight if
anything. One afternoon in late February a warm, rich, appetising scent,
such as the animals had never smelt before, wafted itself across the yard
from the little brew-house, which had been disused in Jones's time, and
which stood beyond the kitchen. Someone said it was the smell of
cooking barley. The animals sniffed the air hungrily and wondered
whether a warm mash was being prepared for their supper. But no
warm mash appeared, and on the following Sunday it was announced
that from now onwards all barley would be reserved for the pigs. The
field beyond the orchard had already been sown with barley. And the
news soon leaked out that every pig was now receiving a ration of a
pint of beer daily, with half a gallon for Napoleon himself, which was
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always served to him in the Crown Derby soup tureen.
But if there were hardships to be borne, they were partly offset by the
fact that life nowadays had a greater dignity than it had had before.
There were more songs, more speeches, more processions. Napoleon
had commanded that once a week there should be held something
called a Spontaneous Demonstration, the object of which was to
celebrate the struggles and triumphs of Animal Farm. At the appointed
time the animals would leave their work and march round the precincts
of the farm in military formation, with the pigs leading, then the horses,
then the cows, then the sheep, and then the poultry. The dogs flanked
the procession and at the head of all marched Napoleon's black
cockerel. Boxer and Clover always carried between them a green
banner marked with the hoof and the horn and the caption, "Long live
Comrade Napoleon! " Afterwards there were recitations of poems
composed in Napoleon's honour, and a speech by Squealer giving
particulars of the latest increases in the production of foodstuffs, and on
occasion a shot was fired from the gun. The sheep were the greatest
devotees of the Spontaneous Demonstration, and if anyone complained
(as a few animals sometimes did, when no pigs or dogs were near) that
they wasted time and meant a lot of standing about in the cold, the
sheep were sure to silence him with a tremendous bleating of "Four legs
good, two legs bad! " But by and large the animals enjoyed these
celebrations. They found it comforting to be reminded that, after all,
they were truly their own masters and that the work they did was for
their own benefit. So that, what with the songs, the processions,
Squealer's lists of figures, the thunder of the gun, the crowing of the
cockerel, and the fluttering of the flag, they were able to forget that
their bellies were empty, at least part of the time.
In April, Animal Farm was proclaimed a Republic, and it became
necessary to elect a President. There was only one candidate, Napoleon,
who was elected unanimously. On the same day it was given out that
fresh documents had been discovered which revealed further details
about Snowball's complicity with Jones. It now appeared that Snowball
had not, as the animals had previously imagined, merely attempted to
lose the Battle of the Cowshed by means of a stratagem, but had been
openly fighting on Jones's side. In fact, it was he who had actually been
the leader of the human forces, and had charged into battle with the
words "Long live Humanity! " on his lips. The wounds on Snowball's
back, which a few of the animals still remembered to have seen, had
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been inflicted by Napoleon's teeth.
In the middle of the summer Moses the raven suddenly reappeared on
the farm, after an absence of several years. He was quite unchanged,
still did no work, and talked in the same strain as ever about
Sugarcandy Mountain. He would perch on a stump, flap his black
wings, and talk by the hour to anyone who would listen. "Up there,
comrades," he would say solemnly, pointing to the sky with his large
beak-"up there, just on the other side of that dark cloud that you can
see-there it lies, Sugarcandy Mountain, that happy country where we
poor animals shall rest for ever from our labours ! " He even claimed to
have been there on one of his higher flights, and to have seen the
everlasting fields of clover and the linseed cake and lump sugar
growing on the hedges. Many of the animals believed him. Their lives
now, they reasoned, were hungry and laborious; was it not right and
just that a better world should exist somewhere else? A thing that was
difficult to determine was the attitude of the pigs towards Moses. They
all declared contemptuously that his stories about Sugarcandy
Mountain were lies, and yet they allowed him to remain on the farm,
not working, with an allowance of a gill of beer a day.
After his hoof had healed up, Boxer worked harder than ever. Indeed,
all the animals worked like slaves that year. Apart from the regular
work of the farm, and the rebuilding of the windmill, there was the
schoolhouse for the young pigs, which was started in March.
Sometimes the long hours on insufficient food were hard to bear, but
Boxer never faltered. In nothing that he said or did was there any sign
that his strength was not what it had been. It was only his appearance
that was a little altered; his hide was less shiny than it had used to be,
and his great haunches seemed to have shrunken. The others said,
"Boxer will pick up when the spring grass comes on"; but the spring
came and Boxer grew no fatter. Sometimes on the slope leading to the
top of the quarry, when he braced his muscles against the weight of
some vast boulder, it seemed that nothing kept him on his feet except
the will to continue. At such times his lips were seen to form the words,
"I will work harder"; he had no voice left. Once again Clover and
Benjamin warned him to take care of his health, but Boxer paid no
attention. His twelfth birthday was approaching. He did not care what
happened so long as a good store of stone was accumulated before he
went on pension.
Late one evening in the summer, a sudden rumour ran round the farm
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that something had happened to Boxer. He had gone out alone to drag a
load of stone down to the windmill. And sure enough, the rumour was
true. A few minutes later two pigeons came racing in with the news:
"Boxer has fallen! He is lying on his side and can't get up! "
About half the animals on the farm rushed out to the knoll where the
windmill stood. There lay Boxer, between the shafts of the cart, his
neck stretched out, unable even to raise his head. His eyes were glazed,
his sides matted with sweat. A thin stream of blood had trickled out of
his mouth. Clover dropped to her knees at his side.
"Boxer! " she cried, "how are you? "
"It is my lung," said Boxer in a weak voice. "It does not matter. I think
you will be able to finish the windmill without me. There is a pretty
good store of stone accumulated. I had only another month to go in any
case. To tell you the truth, I had been looking forward to my retirement.
And perhaps, as Benjamin is growing old too, they will let him retire at
the same time and be a companion to me. "
"We must get help at once," said Clover. "Run, somebody, and tell
Squealer what has happened. "
All the other animals immediately raced back to the farmhouse to give
Squealer the news. Only Clover remained, and Benjamin7 who lay
down at Boxer's side, and, without speaking, kept the flies off him with
his long tail. After about a quarter of an hour Squealer appeared, full of
sympathy and concern. He said that Comrade Napoleon had learned
with the very deepest distress of this misfortune to one of the most
loyal workers on the farm, and was already making arrangements to
send Boxer to be treated in the hospital at Willingdon. The animals felt
a little uneasy at this. Except for Mollie and Snowball, no other animal
had ever left the farm, and they did not like to think of their sick
comrade in the hands of human beings. However, Squealer easily
convinced them that the veterinary surgeon in Willingdon could treat
Boxer's case more satisfactorily than could be done on the farm. And
about half an hour later, when Boxer had somewhat recovered, he was
with difficulty got on to his feet, and managed to limp back to his stall,
where Clover and Benjamin had prepared a good bed of straw for him.
For the next two days Boxer remained in his stall. The pigs had sent out
a large bottle of pink medicine which they had found in the medicine
chest in the bathroom, and Clover administered it to Boxer twice a day
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after meals. In the evenings she lay in his stall and talked to him, while
Benjamin kept the flies off him. Boxer professed not to be sorry for
what had happened. If he made a good recovery, he might expect to live
another three years, and he looked forward to the peaceful days that he
would spend in the corner of the big pasture. It would be the first time
that he had had leisure to study and improve his mind. He intended, he
said, to devote the rest of his life to learning the remaining twenty-two
letters of the alphabet.
However, Benjamin and Clover could only be with Boxer after working
hours, and it was in the middle of the day when the van came to take
him away. The animals were all at work weeding turnips under the
supervision of a pig, when they were astonished to see Benjamin come
galloping from the direction of the farm buildings, braying at the top of
his voice. It was the first time that they had ever seen Benjamin
excited-indeed, it was the first time that anyone had ever seen him
gallop. "Quick, quick! " he shouted. "Come at once! They're taking
Boxer away! " Without waiting for orders from the pig, the animals
broke off work and raced back to the farm buildings. Sure enough,
there in the yard was a large closed van, drawn by two horses, with
lettering on its side and a sly-looking man in a low-crowned bowler hat
sitting on the driver's seat. And Boxer's stall was empty.
The animals crowded round the van. "Good-bye, Boxer! " they
chorused, "good-bye! "
"Fools! Fools! " shouted Benjamin, prancing round them and stamping
the earth with his small hoofs. "Fools! Do you not see what is written
on the side of that van? "
That gave the animals pause, and there was a hush. Muriel began to
spell out the words. But Benjamin pushed her aside and in the midst of
a deadly silence he read:
" 'Alfred Simmonds, Horse Slaughterer and Glue Boiler, Willingdon.
Dealer in Hides and Bone-Meal. Kennels Supplied. ' Do you not
understand what that means? They are taking Boxer to the knacker's! "
A cry of horror burst from all the animals. At this moment the man on
the box whipped up his horses and the van moved out of the yard at a
smart trot. All the animals followed, crying out at the tops of their
voices. Clover forced her way to the front. The van began to gather
speed. Clover tried to stir her stout limbs to a gallop, and achieved a
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canter. "Boxer! " she cried. "Boxer! Boxer! Boxer! " And just at this
moment, as though he had heard the uproar outside, Boxer's face, with
the white stripe down his nose, appeared at the small window at the
back of the van.
