Скотный двор

           AfterwardsSquealerwassentroundthefarmtoexplainthenewarrangementtotheothers. 

           "Comrades,"hesaid,"ItrustthateveryanimalhereappreciatesthesacrificethatComradeNapoleonhasmadeintakingthisextralabouruponhimself. Donotimagine,comrades,thatleadershipisapleasure! Onthecontrary,itisadeepandheavyresponsibility. NoonebelievesmorefirmlythanComradeNapoleonthatallanimalsareequal. Hewouldbeonlytoohappytoletyoumakeyourdecisionsforyourselves. Butsometimesyoumightmakethewrongdecisions,comrades,andthenwhereshouldwebe? SupposeyouhaddecidedtofollowSnowball,withhismoonshineofwindmills—Snowball,who,aswenowknow,wasnobetterthanacriminal?" 

           "HefoughtbravelyattheBattleoftheCowshed,"saidsomebody. 

           "Braveryisnotenough,"saidSquealer."Loyaltyandobediencearemoreimportant. AndastotheBattleoftheCowshed,IbelievethetimewillcomewhenweshallfindthatSnowball’spartinitwasmuchexaggerated. Discipline,comrades,irondiscipline! Thatisthewatchwordfortoday. Onefalsestep,andourenemieswouldbeuponus. Surely,comrades,youdonotwantJonesback?" 

           Onceagainthisargumentwasunanswerable. CertainlytheanimalsdidnotwantJonesback;iftheholdingofdebatesonSundaymorningswasliabletobringhimback,thenthedebatesmuststop. Boxer,whohadnowhadtimetothinkthingsover,voicedthegeneralfeelingbysaying: "IfComradeNapoleonsaysit,itmustberight." Andfromthenonheadoptedthemaxim,"Napoleonisalwaysright,"inadditiontohisprivatemottoof"Iwillworkharder."