1By the late summer the news of what had happened on Animal Farm had spread across half the county. 2Every day Snowball and Napoleon sent out flights of pigeons whose instructions were to mingle with the animals on neighbouring farms, tell them the story of the Rebellion, and teach them the tune of Beasts of England.
3Most of this time Mr. Jones had spent sitting in the taproom of the Red Lion at Willingdon, complaining to anyone who would listen of the monstrous injustice he had suffered in being turned out of his property by a pack of good-for-nothing animals. 4The other farmers sympathised in principle, but they did not at first give him much help. 5At heart, each of them was secretly wondering whether he could not somehow turn Jones's misfortune to his own advantage. 6It was lucky that the owners of the two farms which adjoined Animal Farm were on permanently bad terms. 7One of them, which was named Foxwood, was a large, neglected, old-fashioned farm, much overgrown by woodland, with all its pastures worn out and its hedges in a disgraceful condition. 8Its owner, Mr. Pilkington, was an easy-going gentleman farmer who spent most of his time in fishing or hunting according to the season. 9The other farm, which was called Pinchfield, was smaller and better kept. 10Its owner was a Mr. Frederick, a tough, shrewd man, perpetually involved in lawsuits and with a name for driving hard bargains. 11These two disliked each other so much that it was difficult for them to come to any agreement, even in defence of their own interests.
12Nevertheless, they were both thoroughly frightened by the rebellion on Animal Farm, and very anxious to prevent their own animals from learning too much about it. 13At first they pretended to laugh to scorn the idea of animals managing a farm for themselves. 14The whole thing would be over in a fortnight, they said. 15They put it about that the animals on the Manor Farm (they insisted on calling it the Manor Farm; they would not tolerate the name "Animal Farm") were perpetually fighting among themselves and were also rapidly starving to death. 16When time passed and the animals had evidently not starved to death, Frederick and Pilkington changed their tune and began to talk of the terrible wickedness that now flourished on Animal Farm. 17It was given out that the animals there practised cannibalism, tortured one another with red-hot horseshoes, and had their females in common. 18This was what came of rebelling against the laws of Nature, Frederick and Pilkington said.
19However, these stories were never fully believed. 20Rumours of a wonderful farm, where the human beings had been turned out and the animals managed their own affairs, continued to circulate in vague and distorted forms, and throughout that year a wave of rebelliousness ran through the countryside. 21Bulls which had always been tractable suddenly turned savage, sheep broke down hedges and devoured the clover, cows kicked the pail over, hunters refused their fences and shot their riders on to the other side. 22Above all, the tune and even the words of Beasts of England were known everywhere. 23It had spread with astonishing speed. 24The human beings could not contain their rage when they heard this song, though they pretended to think it merely ridiculous. 25They could not understand, they said, how even animals could bring themselves to sing such contemptible rubbish. 26Any animal caught singing it was given a flogging on the spot. 27And yet the song was irrepressible. 28The blackbirds whistled it in the hedges, the pigeons cooed it in the elms, it got into the din of the smithies and the tune of the church bells. 29And when the human beings listened to it, they secretly trembled, hearing in it a prophecy of their future doom.
30Early in October, when the corn was cut and stacked and some of it was already threshed, a flight of pigeons came whirling through the air and alighted in the yard of Animal Farm in the wildest excitement. 31Jones and all his men, with half a dozen others from Foxwood and Pinchfield, had entered the five-barred gate and were coming up the cart-track that led to the farm. 32They were all carrying sticks, except Jones, who was marching ahead with a gun in his hands. 33Obviously they were going to attempt the re
capture of the farm.
34This had long been expected, and all preparations had been made. 35Snowball, who had studied an old book of Julius Caesar's campaigns which he had found in the farmhouse, was in charge of the defensive operations. 36He gave his orders quickly, and in a couple of minutes every animal was at his post.
37As the human beings approached the farm buildings, Snowball launched his first attack. 38All the pigeons, to the number of thirty-five, flew to and fro over the men's heads and muted upon them from mid-air; and while the men were dealing with this, the geese, who had been hiding behind the hedge, rushed out and pecked viciously at the calves of their legs. 39However, this was only a light skirmishing manoeuvre, intended to create a little disorder, and the men easily drove the geese off with their sticks. 40Snowball now launched his second line of attack. 41Muriel, Benjamin, and all the sheep, with Snowball at the head of them, rushed forward and prodded and butted the men from every side, while Benjamin turned around and lashed at them with his small hoofs. 42But once again the men, with their sticks and their hobnailed boots, were too strong for them; and suddenly, at a squeal from Snowball, which was the signal for retreat, all the animals turned and fled through the gateway into the yard.
43The men gave a shout of triumph. 44They saw, as they imagined, their enemies in flight, and they rushed after them in disorder. 45This was just what Snowball had intended. 46As soon as they were well inside the yard, the three horses, the three cows, and the rest of the pigs, who had been lying in ambush in the cowshed, suddenly emerged in their rear, cutting them off. 47Snowball now gave the signal for the charge. 48He himself dashed straight for Jones. 49Jones saw him coming, raised his gun and fired. 50The pellets scored bloody streaks along Snowball's back, and a sheep dropped dead. 51Without halting for an instant, Snowball flung his fifteen stone against Jones's legs. 52Jones was hurled into a pile of dung and his gun flew out of his hands. 53But the most terrifying spectacle of all was Boxer, rearing up on his hind legs and striking out with his great iron-shod hoofs like a stallion. 54His very first blow took a stable-lad from Foxwood on the skull and stretched him lifeless in the mud. 55At the sight, several men dropped their sticks and tried to run. 56Panic overtook them, and the next moment all the animals together were chasing them round and round the yard. 57They were gored, kicked, bitten, trampled on. 58There was not an animal on the farm that did not take vengeance on them after his own fashion. 59Even the cat suddenly leapt off a roof onto a cowman's shoulders and sank her claws in his neck, at which he yelled horribly. 60At a moment when the opening was clear, the men were glad enough to rush out of the yard and make a bolt for the main road. 61And so within five minutes of their invasion they were in ignominious retreat by the same way as they had come, with a flock of geese hissing after them and pecking at their calves all the way.
62All the men were gone except one. 63Back in the yard Boxer was pawing with his hoof at the stable-lad who lay face down in the mud, trying to turn him over. 64The boy did not stir.
65"He is dead," said Boxer sorrowfully. 66"I had no intention of doing that. 67I forgot that I was wearing iron shoes. 68Who will believe that I did not do this on purpose?"
69"No sentimentality, comrade!" cried Snowball from whose wounds the blood was still dripping. 70"War is war. 71The only good human being is a dead one."
72"I have no wish to take life, not even human life," repeated Boxer, and his eyes were full of tears.
73"Where is Mollie?" exclaimed somebody.
74Mollie in fact was missing. 75For a moment there was great alarm; it was feared that the men might have harmed her in some way, or even carried her off with them. 76In the end, however, she was found hiding in her stall with her head buried among the hay in the manger. 77She had taken to flight as soon as the gun went off. 78And when the others came back from looking for her, it was to find that the stable-lad, who in fact was only stunned, had already recovered and made off.
79The animals had now reassembled in the wildest excitement, each recounting his own exploits in the battle at the top of his voice. 80An impromptu celebration of the victory was held immediately. 81The flag was run up and Beasts of England was sung a number of times, then the sheep who had been killed was given a solemn funeral, a hawthorn bush being planted on her grave. 82At the graveside Snowball made a little speech, emphasising the need for all animals to be ready to die for Animal Farm if need be.
83The animals decided unanimously to create a military decoration, "Animal Hero, First Class," which was conferred there and then on Snowball and Boxer. 84It consisted of a brass medal (they were really some old horse-brasses which had been found in the harness-room), to be worn on Sundays and holidays. 85There was also "Animal Hero, Second Class," which was conferred posthumously on the dead sheep.
86There was much discussion as to what the battle should be called. 87In the end, it was named the Battle of the Cowshed, since that was where the ambush had been sprung. 88Mr. Jones's gun had been found lying in the mud, and it was known that there was a supply of cartridges in the farmhouse. 89It was decided to set the gun up at the foot of the Flagstaff, like a piece of artillery, and to fire it twice a year–once on October the twelfth, the anniversary of the Battle of the Cowshed, and once on Midsummer Day, the anniversary of the Rebellion.