Скотный двор

           Suddenly,earlyinthespring,analarmingthingwasdiscovered. Snowballwassecretlyfrequentingthefarmbynight! Theanimalsweresodisturbedthattheycouldhardlysleepintheirstalls. Everynight,itwassaid,hecamecreepinginundercoverofdarknessandperformedallkindsofmischief. Hestolethecorn,heupsetthemilk-pails,hebroketheeggs,hetrampledtheseedbeds,hegnawedthebarkoffthefruittrees. WheneveranythingwentwrongitbecameusualtoattributeittoSnowball. Ifawindowwasbrokenoradrainwasblockedup,someonewascertaintosaythatSnowballhadcomeinthenightanddoneit,andwhenthekeyofthestore-shedwaslost,thewholefarmwasconvincedthatSnowballhadthrownitdownthewell. Curiouslyenough,theywentonbelievingthisevenafterthemislaidkeywasfoundunderasackofmeal. ThecowsdeclaredunanimouslythatSnowballcreptintotheirstallsandmilkedthemintheirsleep. Therats,whichhadbeentroublesomethatwinter,werealsosaidtobeinleaguewithSnowball. 

           NapoleondecreedthatthereshouldbeafullinvestigationintoSnowball’sactivities. Withhisdogsinattendancehesetoutandmadeacarefultourofinspectionofthefarmbuildings,theotheranimalsfollowingatarespectfuldistance. AteveryfewstepsNapoleonstoppedandsnuffedthegroundfortracesofSnowball’sfootsteps,which,hesaid,hecoulddetectbythesmell. Hesnuffedineverycorner,inthebarn,inthecow-shed,inthehenhouses,inthevegetablegarden,andfoundtracesofSnowballalmosteverywhere. Hewouldputhissnouttotheground,giveseveraldeepsniffs,adexclaiminaterriblevoice, "Snowball!Hehasbeenhere!Icansmellhimdistinctly!" andattheword"Snowball"allthedogsletoutblood-curdlinggrowlsandshowedtheirsideteeth. 

           Theanimalswerethoroughlyfrightened. ItseemedtothemasthoughSnowballweresomekindofinvisibleinfluence,pervadingtheairaboutthemandmenacingthemwithallkindsofdangers.