Скотный двор

           Bythistimetheweatherhadbrokenandthespringploughinghadbegun. TheshedwhereSnowballhaddrawnhisplansofthewindmillhadbeenshutupanditwasassumedthattheplanshadbeenrubbedoffthefloor. EverySundaymorningatteno’clocktheanimalsassembledinthebigbarntoreceivetheirordersfortheweek. TheskullofoldMajor,nowcleanofflesh,hadbeendisinterredfromtheorchardandsetuponastumpatthefootoftheflagstaff,besidethegun. Afterthehoistingoftheflag,theanimalswererequiredtofilepasttheskullinareverentmannerbeforeenteringthebarn. Nowadaystheydidnotsitalltogetherastheyhaddoneinthepast. Napoleon,withSquealerandanotherpignamedMinimus,whohadaremarkablegiftforcomposingsongsandpoems,satonthefrontoftheraisedplatform,withthenineyoungdogsformingasemicircleroundthem,andtheotherpigssittingbehind. Therestoftheanimalssatfacingtheminthemainbodyofthebarn. Napoleonreadouttheordersfortheweekinagruffsoldierlystyle,andafterasinglesingingof‘BeastsofEngland’,alltheanimalsdispersed. 

           OnthethirdSundayafterSnowball’sexpulsion,theanimalsweresomewhatsurprisedtohearNapoleonannouncethatthewindmillwastobebuiltafterall. Hedidnotgiveanyreasonforhavingchangedhismind,butmerelywarnedtheanimalsthatthisextrataskwouldmeanveryhardwork,itmightevenbenecessarytoreducetheirrations. Theplans,however,hadallbeenprepared,downtothelastdetail. Aspecialcommitteeofpigshadbeenatworkuponthemforthepastthreeweeks. Thebuildingofthewindmill,withvariousotherimprovements,wasexpectedtotaketwoyears. 

           ThateveningSquealerexplainedprivatelytotheotheranimalsthatNapoleonhadneverinrealitybeenopposedtothewindmill. Onthecontrary,itwashewhohadadvocateditinthebeginning,andtheplanwhichSnowballhaddrawnontheflooroftheincubatorshedhadactuallybeenstolenfromamongNapoleon’spapers.