Скотный двор
Chapter 7
Theydidnotknowwhichwasmoreshocking—thetreacheryoftheanimalswhohadleaguedthemselveswithSnowball,orthecruelretributiontheyhadjustwitnessed. Intheolddaystherehadoftenbeenscenesofbloodshedequallyterrible,butitseemedtoallofthemthatitwasfarworsenowthatitwashappeningamongthemselves. SinceJoneshadleftthefarm,untiltoday,noanimalhadkilledanotheranimal. Notevenarathadbeenkilled. Theyhadmadetheirwayontothelittleknollwherethehalf-finishedwindmillstood,andwithoneaccordtheyalllaydownasthoughhuddlingtogetherforwarmth—Clover,Muriel,Benjamin,thecows,thesheep,andawholeflockofgeeseandhens—everyone,indeed,exceptthecat,whohadsuddenlydisappearedjustbeforeNapoleonorderedtheanimalstoassemble. Forsometimenobodyspoke. OnlyBoxerremainedonhisfeet. Hefidgetedtoandfro,swishinghislongblacktailagainsthissidesandoccasionallyutteringalittlewhinnyofsurprise. Finallyhesaid:
"Idonotunderstandit. Iwouldnothavebelievedthatsuchthingscouldhappenonourfarm. Itmustbeduetosomefaultinourselves. Thesolution,asIseeit,istoworkharder. FromnowonwardsIshallgetupafullhourearlierinthemornings."
Andhemovedoffathislumberingtrotandmadeforthequarry. Havinggotthere,hecollectedtwosuccessiveloadsofstoneanddraggedthemdowntothewindmillbeforeretiringforthenight.
TheanimalshuddledaboutClover,notspeaking. Theknollwheretheywerelyinggavethemawideprospectacrossthecountryside. MostofAnimalFarmwaswithintheirview—thelongpasturestretchingdowntothemainroad,thehayfield,thespinney,thedrinkingpool,theploughedfieldswheretheyoungwheatwasthickandgreen,andtheredroofsofthefarmbuildingswiththesmokecurlingfromthechimneys.
