CHAPTER
5
AS
WINTER DREW ON, Mollie became more and more troublesome. She was
late for work every morning and excused herself by saying that
she had overslept, and she complained of mysterious pains, although
her appetite was excellent. On every kind of pretext she would
run away from work and go to the drinking pool, where she would
stand foolishly gazing at her own reflection in the water. But
there were also rumours of something more serious. One day, as
Mollie strolled blithely into the yard, flirting her long tail
and chewing at a stalk of hay, Clover took her aside.
'Mollie,' she said, 'I have something very serious to say to you.
This morning I saw you looking over the hedge that divides Animal
Farm from Foxwood. One of Mr. Pilkington's men was standing on
the other side of the hedge. And - I was a long way away, but
I am almost certain I saw this - he was talking to you and you
were allowing him to stroke your nose. What does that mean, Mollie?'
'He didn't! I wasn't! It isn't true!' cried Mollie, beginning
to prance about and paw the ground.
'Mollie! Look me in the face. Do you give me your word of honour
that that man was not stroking your nose?'
'It isn't true!' repeated Mollie, but she could not look Clover
in the face, and the next moment she took to her heels and galloped
away into the field.
A thought struck Clover. Without saying anything to the others,
she went to Mollie's stall and turned over the straw with her
hoof. Hidden under the straw was a little pile of lump sugar and
several bunches of ribbon of different colours.
Three days later Mollie disappeared. For some weeks nothing was
known of her whereabouts, then the pigeons reported that they
had seen her on the other side of Willingdon. She was between
the shafts of a smart dogcart painted red and black, which was
standing outside a public-house. A fat red-faced man in check
breeches and gaiters, who looked like a publican, was stroking
her nose and feeding her with sugar. Her coat was newly clipped
and she wore a scarlet ribbon round her forelock. She appeared
to be enjoying herself, so the pigeons said. None of the animals
ever mentioned Mollie again.
In January there came bitterly hard weather. The earth was like
iron, and nothing could be done in the fields. Many meetings were
held in the big barn, and the pigs occupied themselves with planning
out the work of the coming season. It had come to be accepted
that the pigs, who were manifestly cleverer than the other animals,
should decide all questions of farm policy, though their decisions
had to be ratified by a majority vote. This arrangement would
have worked well enough if it had not been for the disputes between
Snowball and Napoleon. These two disagreed at every point where
disagreement was possible. If one of them suggested sowing a bigger
acreage with barley, the other was certain to demand a bigger
acreage of oats, and if one of them said that such and such a
field was just right for cabbages, the other would declare that
it was useless for anything except roots. Each had his own following,
and there were some violent debates. At the Meetings Snowball
often won over the majority by his brilliant speeches, but Napoleon
was better at canvassing support for himself in between times.
He was especially successful with the sheep. Of late the sheep
had taken to bleating 'Four legs good, two legs bad' both in and
out of season, and they often interrupted the Meeting with this.
It was noticed that they were especially liable to break into
'Four legs good, two legs bad' at crucial moments in Snowball's
speeches. Snowball had made a close study of some back numbers
of the Farmer and Stockbreeder which he had found in the
farmhouse, and was full of plans for innovations and improvements.
He talked learnedly about field drains, silage, and basic slag,
and had worked out a complicated scheme for all the animals to
drop their dung directly in the fields, at a different spot every
day, to save the labour of cartage. Napoleon produced no schemes
of his own, but said quietly that Snowball's would come to nothing,
and seemed to be biding his time. But of all their controversies,
none was so bitter as the one that took place over the windmill.
In the long pasture, not far from the farm buildings, there was
a small knoll which was the highest point on the farm. After surveying
the ground, Snowball declared that this was just the place for
a windmill, which could be made to operate a dynamo and supply
the farm with electrical power. This would light the stalls and
warm them in winter, and would also run a circular saw, a chaff-cutter,
a mangel-slicer, and an electric milking machine. The animals
had never heard of anything of this kind before ( for the farm
was an old-fashioned one and had only the most primitive machinery),
and they listened in astonishment while Snowball conjured up pictures
of fantastic machines which would do their work for them while
they grazed at their ease in the fields or improved their minds
with reading and conversation.
Within a few weeks Snowball's plans for the windmill were fully
worked out. The mechanical details came mostly from three books
which had belonged to Mr. Jones - One Thousand Useful Things
to Do About the House, Every Man His Own Bricklayer,
and Electricity for Beginners. Snowball used as his study
a shed which had once been used for incubators and had a smooth
wooden floor, suitable for drawing on. He was closeted there for
hours at a time. With his books held open by a stone, and with
a piece of chalk gripped between the knuckles of his trotter,
he would move rapidly to and fro, drawing in line after line and
uttering little whimpers of excitement. Gradually the plans grew
into a complicated mass of cranks and cog-wheels, covering more
than half the floor, which the other animals found completely
unintelligible but very impressive. All of them came to look at
Snowball's drawings at least once a day. Even the hens and ducks
came, and were at pains not to tread on the chalk marks. Only
Napoleon held aloof. He had declared himself against the windmill
from the start. One day, however, he arrived unexpectedly to examine
the plans. He walked heavily round the shed, looked closely at
every detail of the plans and snuffed at them once or twice, then
stood for a little while contemplating them out of the corner
of his eye; then suddenly he lifted his leg, urinated over the
plans, and walked out without uttering a word.
The whole farm was deeply divided on the subject of the windmill.
Snowball did not deny that to build it would be a difficult business.
Stone would have to be carried and built up into walls, then the
sails would have to be made and after that there would be need
for dynamos and cables. (How these were to be procured, Snowball
did not say.) But he maintained that it could all be done in a
year. And thereafter, he declared, so much labour would be saved
that the animals would only need to work three days a week. Napoleon,
on the other hand, argued that the great need of the moment was
to increase food production, and that if they wasted time on the
windmill they would all starve to death. The animals formed themselves
into two factions under the slogan, 'Vote for Snowball and the
three-day week' and 'Vote for Napoleon and the full manger.' Benjamin
was the only animal who did not side with either faction. He refused
to believe either that food would become more plentiful or that
the windmill would save work. Windmill or no windmill, he said,
life would go on as it had always gone on - that is, badly.
Apart from the disputes over the windmill, there was the question
of the defence of the farm. It was fully realised that though
the human beings had been defeated in the Battle of the Cowshed
they might make another and more determined attempt to recapture
the farm and reinstate Mr. Jones. They had all the more reason
for doing so because the news of their defeat had spread across
the countryside and made the animals on the neighbouring farms
more restive than ever. As usual, Snowball and Napoleon were in
disagreement. According to Napoleon, what the animals must do
was to procure firearms and train themselves in the use of them.
According to Snowball, they must send out more and more pigeons
and stir up rebellion among the animals on the other farms. The
one argued that if they could not defend themselves they were
bound to be conquered, the other argued that if rebellions happened
everywhere they would have no need to defend themselves. The animals
listened first to Napoleon, then to Snowball, and could not make
up their minds which was right; indeed, they always found themselves
in agreement with the one who was speaking at the moment.
At last the day came when Snowball's plans were completed. At
the Meeting on the following Sunday the question of whether or
not to begin work on the windmill was to be put to the vote. When
the animals had assembled in the big barn, Snowball stood up and,
though occasionally interrupted by bleating from the sheep, set
forth his reasons for advocating the building of the windmill.
Then Napoleon stood up to reply. He said very quietly that the
windmill was nonsense and that he advised nobody to vote for it,
and promptly sat down again; he had spoken for barely thirty seconds,
and seemed almost indifferent as to the effect he produced. At
this Snowball sprang to his feet, and shouting down the sheep,
who had begun bleating again, broke into a passionate appeal in
favour of the windmill. Until now the animals had been about equally
divided in their sympathies, but in a moment Snowball's eloquence
had carried them away. In glowing sentences he painted a picture
of Animal Farm as it might be when sordid labour was lifted from
the animals' backs. His imagination had now run far beyond chaff-cutters
and turnip-slicers. Electricity, he said, could operate threshing
machines, ploughs, harrows, rollers, and reapers and binders,
besides supplying every stall with its own electric light, hot
and cold water, and an electric heater. By the time he had finished
speaking, there was no doubt as to which way the vote would go.
But just at this moment Napoleon stood up and, casting a peculiar
sidelong look at Snowball, uttered a high-pitched whimper of a
kind no one had ever heard him utter before.
At this there was a terrible baying sound outside, and nine enormous
dogs wearing brass-studded collars came bounding into the barn.
They dashed straight for Snowball, who only sprang from his place
just in time to escape their snapping jaws. In a moment he was
out of the door and they were after him. Too amazed and frightened
to speak, all the animals crowded through the door to watch the
chase. Snowball was racing across the long pasture that led to
the road. He was running as only a pig can run, but the dogs were
close on his heels. Suddenly he slipped and it seemed certain
that they had him. Then he was up again, running faster than ever,
then the dogs were gaining on him again. One of them all but closed
his jaws on Snowball's tail, but Snowball whisked it free just
in time. Then he put on an extra spurt and, with a few inches
to spare, slipped through a hole in the hedge and was seen no
more.
Silent and terrified, the animals crept back into the barn. In
a moment the dogs came bounding back. At first no one had been
able to imagine where these creatures came from, but the problem
was soon solved: they were the puppies whom Napoleon had taken
away from their mothers and reared privately. Though not yet full-grown,
they were huge dogs, and as fierce-looking as wolves. They kept
close to Napoleon. It was noticed that they wagged their tails
to him in the same way as the other dogs had been used to do to
Mr. Jones.
Napoleon, with the dogs following him, now mounted on to the raised
portion of the floor where Major had previously stood to deliver
his speech. He announced that from now on the Sunday-morning Meetings
would come to an end. They were unnecessary, he said, and wasted
time. In future all questions relating to the working of the farm
would be settled by a special committee of pigs, presided over
by himself. These would meet in private and afterwards communicate
their decisions to the others. The animals would still assemble
on Sunday mornings to salute the flag, sing 'Beasts of England',
and receive their orders for the week; but there would be no more
debates.
In spite of the shock that Snowball's expulsion had given them,
the animals were dismayed by this announcement. Several of them
would have protested if they could have found the right arguments.
Even Boxer was vaguely troubled. He set his ears back, shook his
forelock several times, and tried hard to marshal his thoughts;
but in the end he could not think of anything to say. Some of
the pigs themselves, however, were more articulate. Four young
porkers in the front row uttered shrill squeals of disapproval,
and all four of them sprang to their feet and began speaking at
once. But suddenly the dogs sitting round Napoleon let out deep,
menacing growls, and the pigs fell silent and sat down again.
Then the sheep broke out into a tremendous bleating of 'Four legs
good, two legs bad!' which went on for nearly a quarter of an
hour and put an end to any chance of discussion.
Afterwards Squealer was sent round the farm to explain the new
arrangement to the others.
'Comrades,' he said, 'I trust that every animal here appreciates
the sacrifice that Comrade Napoleon has made in taking this extra
labour upon himself. Do not imagine, comrades, that leadership
is a pleasure! On the contrary, it is a deep and heavy responsibility.
No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals
are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions
for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions,
comrades, and then where should we be? Suppose you had decided
to follow Snowball, with his moonshine of windmills - Snowball,
who, as we now know, was no better than a criminal?'
'He fought bravely at the Battle of the Cowshed,' said somebody.
'Bravery is not enough,' said Squealer. 'Loyalty and obedience
are more important. And as to the Battle of the Cowshed, I believe
the time will come when we shall find that Snowball's part in
it was much exaggerated. Discipline, comrades, iron discipline!
That is the watchword for today. One false step, and our enemies
would be upon us. Surely, comrades, you do not want Jones back?'
Once again this argument was unanswerable. Certainly the animals
did not want Jones back; if the holding of debates on Sunday mornings
was liable to bring him back, then the debates must stop. Boxer,
who had now had time to think things over, voiced the general
feeling by saying: 'If Comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right.'
And from then on he adopted the maxim, 'Napoleon is always right,'
in addition to his private motto of 'I will work harder.'
By this time the weather had broken and the spring ploughing had
begun. The shed where Snowball had drawn his plans of the windmill
had been shut up and it was assumed that the plans had been rubbed
off the floor. Every Sunday morning at ten o'clock the animals
assembled in the big barn to receive their orders for the week.
The skull of old Major, now clean of flesh, had been disinterred
from the orchard and set up on a stump at the foot of the flagstaff,
beside the gun. After the hoisting of the flag, the animals were
required to file past the skull in a reverent manner before entering
the barn. Nowadays they did not sit all together as they had done
in the past. Napoleon, with Squealer and another pig named Minimus,
who had a remarkable gift for composing songs and poems, sat on
the front of the raised platform, with the nine young dogs forming
a semicircle round them, and the other pigs sitting behind. The
rest of the animals sat facing them in the main body of the barn.
Napoleon read out the orders for the week in a gruff soldierly
style, and after a single singing of 'Beasts of England', all
the animals dispersed.
On the third Sunday after Snowball's expulsion, the animals were
somewhat surprised to hear Napoleon announce that the windmill
was to be built after all. He did not give any reason for having
changed his mind, but merely warned the animals that this extra
task would mean very hard work, it might even be necessary to
reduce their rations. The plans, however, had all been prepared,
down to the last detail. A special committee of pigs had been
at work upon them for the past three weeks. The building of the
windmill, with various other improvements, was expected to take
two years.
That evening Squealer explained privately to the other animals
that Napoleon had never in reality been opposed to the windmill.
On the contrary, it was he who had advocated it in the beginning,
and the plan which Snowball had drawn on the floor of the incubator
shed had actually been stolen from among Napoleon's papers. The
windmill was, in fact, Napoleon's own creation. Why, then, asked
somebody, had he spoken so strongly against it? Here Squealer
looked very sly. That, he said, was Comrade Napoleon's cunning.
He had seemed to oppose the windmill, simply as a manoeuvre
to get rid of Snowball, who was a dangerous character and a bad
influence. Now that Snowball was out of the way, the plan could
go forward without his interference. This, said Squealer, was
something called tactics. He repeated a number of times, 'Tactics,
comrades, tactics!' skipping round and whisking his tail with
a merry laugh. The animals were not certain what the word meant,
but Squealer spoke so persuasively, and the three dogs who happened
to be with him growled so threateningly, that they accepted his
explanation without further questions.
.......
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