Скотный двор

           OldBenjamin,thedonkey,seemedquiteunchangedsincetheRebellion. HedidhisworkinthesameslowobstinatewayashehaddoneitinJones’stime,nevershirkingandnevervolunteeringforextraworkeither. AbouttheRebellionanditsresultshewouldexpressnoopinion. WhenaskedwhetherhewasnothappiernowthatJoneswasgone,hewouldsayonly "Donkeyslivealongtime.Noneofyouhaseverseenadeaddonkey,"andtheothershadtobecontentwiththiscrypticanswer. 

           OnSundaystherewasnowork. Breakfastwasanhourlaterthanusual,andafterbreakfasttherewasaceremonywhichwasobservedeveryweekwithoutfail. Firstcamethehoistingoftheflag. Snowballhadfoundintheharness-roomanoldgreentableclothofMrs.Jones’sandhadpaintedonitahoofandahorninwhite. ThiswasrunuptheflagstaffinthefarmhousegardeneverySundaymorning. Theflagwasgreen,Snowballexplained,torepresentthegreenfieldsofEngland,whilethehoofandhornsignifiedthefutureRepublicoftheAnimalswhichwouldarisewhenthehumanracehadbeenfinallyoverthrown. AfterthehoistingoftheflagalltheanimalstroopedintothebigbarnforageneralassemblywhichwasknownastheMeeting. Heretheworkofthecomingweekwasplannedoutandresolutionswereputforwardanddebated. Itwasalwaysthepigswhoputforwardtheresolutions. Theotheranimalsunderstoodhowtovote,butcouldneverthinkofanyresolutionsoftheirown. SnowballandNapoleonwerebyfarthemostactiveinthedebates. Butitwasnoticedthatthesetwowereneverinagreement: whateversuggestioneitherofthemmade,theothercouldbecountedontoopposeit. Evenwhenitwasresolved—athingnoonecouldobjecttoinitself—tosetasidethesmallpaddockbehindtheorchardasahomeofrestforanimalswhowerepastwork,therewasastormydebateoverthecorrectretiringageforeachclassofanimal.