Скотный двор
Chapter 1
Thetwocart-horses,BoxerandClover,cameintogether,walkingveryslowlyandsettingdowntheirvasthairyhoofswithgreatcarelestthereshouldbesomesmallanimalconcealedinthestraw. Cloverwasastoutmotherlymareapproachingmiddlelife,whohadneverquitegotherfigurebackafterherfourthfoal. Boxerwasanenormousbeast,nearlyeighteenhandshigh,andasstrongasanytwoordinaryhorsesputtogether. Awhitestripedownhisnosegavehimasomewhatstupidappearance,andinfacthewasnotoffirst-rateintelligence,buthewasuniversallyrespectedforhissteadinessofcharacterandtremendouspowersofwork. AfterthehorsescameMuriel,thewhitegoat,andBenjamin,thedonkey. Benjaminwastheoldestanimalonthefarm,andtheworsttempered. Heseldomtalked,andwhenhedid,itwasusuallytomakesomecynicalremark—forinstance,hewouldsaythatGodhadgivenhimatailtokeepthefliesoff,butthathewouldsoonerhavehadnotailandnoflies. Aloneamongtheanimalsonthefarmheneverlaughed. Ifaskedwhy,hewouldsaythathesawnothingtolaughat. Nevertheless,withoutopenlyadmittingit,hewasdevotedtoBoxer;thetwoofthemusuallyspenttheirSundaystogetherinthesmallpaddockbeyondtheorchard,grazingsidebysideandneverspeaking.
Thetwohorseshadjustlaindownwhenabroodofducklings,whichhadlosttheirmother,filedintothebarn,cheepingfeeblyandwanderingfromsidetosidetofindsomeplacewheretheywouldnotbetroddenon. Clovermadeasortofwallroundthemwithhergreatforeleg,andtheducklingsnestleddowninsideitandpromptlyfellasleep. AtthelastmomentMollie,thefoolish,prettywhitemarewhodrewMr.Jones’strap,camemincingdaintilyin,chewingatalumpofsugar. Shetookaplacenearthefrontandbeganflirtingherwhitemane,hopingtodrawattentiontotheredribbonsitwasplaitedwith.
