Скотный двор
Chapter 1
No,comrades,athousandtimesno! ThesoilofEnglandisfertile,itsclimateisgood,itiscapableofaffordingfoodinabundancetoanenormouslygreaternumberofanimalsthannowinhabitit. Thissinglefarmofourswouldsupportadozenhorses,twentycows,hundredsofsheep—andallofthemlivinginacomfortandadignitythatarenowalmostbeyondourimagining. Whythendowecontinueinthismiserablecondition? Becausenearlythewholeoftheproduceofourlabourisstolenfromusbyhumanbeings. There,comrades,istheanswertoallourproblems. Itissummedupinasingleword—Man. Manistheonlyrealenemywehave. RemoveManfromthescene,andtherootcauseofhungerandoverworkisabolishedforever.
"Manistheonlycreaturethatconsumeswithoutproducing. Hedoesnotgivemilk,hedoesnotlayeggs,heistooweaktopulltheplough,hecannotrunfastenoughtocatchrabbits. Yetheislordofalltheanimals. Hesetsthemtowork,hegivesbacktothemthebareminimumthatwillpreventthemfromstarving,andtheresthekeepsforhimself. Ourlabourtillsthesoil,ourdungfertilisesit,andyetthereisnotoneofusthatownsmorethanhisbareskin. YoucowsthatIseebeforeme,howmanythousandsofgallonsofmilkhaveyougivenduringthislastyear? Andwhathashappenedtothatmilkwhichshouldhavebeenbreedingupsturdycalves? Everydropofithasgonedownthethroatsofourenemies. Andyouhens,howmanyeggshaveyoulaidinthislastyear,andhowmanyofthoseeggseverhatchedintochickens? TheresthaveallgonetomarkettobringinmoneyforJonesandhismen. Andyou,Clover,wherearethosefourfoalsyoubore,whoshouldhavebeenthesupportandpleasureofyouroldage? Eachwassoldatayearold—youwillneverseeoneofthemagain. Inreturnforyourfourconfinementsandallyourlabourinthefields,whathaveyoueverhadexceptyourbarerationsandastall?
