Скотный двор

           IntheeveningSquealercalledthemtogether,andwithanalarmedexpressiononhisfacetoldthemthathehadsomeseriousnewstoreport. 

           "Comrades!"criedSquealer,makinglittlenervousskips,"amostterriblethinghasbeendiscovered. SnowballhassoldhimselftoFrederickofPinchfieldFarm,whoisevennowplottingtoattackusandtakeourfarmawayfromus! Snowballistoactashisguidewhentheattackbegins. Butthereisworsethanthat. WehadthoughtthatSnowball’srebellionwascausedsimplybyhisvanityandambition. Butwewerewrong,comrades. Doyouknowwhattherealreasonwas? SnowballwasinleaguewithJonesfromtheverystart! HewasJones’ssecretagentallthetime. Ithasallbeenprovedbydocumentswhichheleftbehindhimandwhichwehaveonlyjustdiscovered. Tomymindthisexplainsagreatdeal,comrades. Didwenotseeforourselveshowheattempted—fortunatelywithoutsuccess—togetusdefeatedanddestroyedattheBattleoftheCowshed?" 

           Theanimalswerestupefied. ThiswasawickednessfaroutdoingSnowball’sdestructionofthewindmill. Butitwassomeminutesbeforetheycouldfullytakeitin. Theyallremembered,orthoughttheyremembered,howtheyhadseenSnowballchargingaheadofthemattheBattleoftheCowshed,howhehadralliedandencouragedthemateveryturn,andhowhehadnotpausedforaninstantevenwhenthepelletsfromJones’sgunhadwoundedhisback. AtfirstitwasalittledifficulttoseehowthisfittedinwithhisbeingonJones’sside. EvenBoxer,whoseldomaskedquestions,waspuzzled. Helaydown,tuckedhisforehoofsbeneathhim,shuthiseyes,andwithahardeffortmanagedtoformulatehisthoughts. 

           "Idonotbelievethat,"hesaid. "SnowballfoughtbravelyattheBattleoftheCowshed. Isawhimmyself. Didwenotgivehim‘AnimalHero,firstClass,’immediatelyafterwards?"