Скотный двор

           ThiswasmerelyalegendwhichhadbeenspreadsometimeaftertheBattleoftheCowshedbySnowballhimself. Sofarfrombeingdecorated,hehadbeencensuredforshowingcowardiceinthebattle. Onceagainsomeoftheanimalsheardthiswithacertainbewilderment,butSquealerwassoonabletoconvincethemthattheirmemorieshadbeenatfault. 

           Intheautumn,byatremendous,exhaustingeffort—fortheharvesthadtobegatheredatalmostthesametime—thewindmillwasfinished. Themachineryhadstilltobeinstalled,andWhymperwasnegotiatingthepurchaseofit,butthestructurewascompleted. Intheteethofeverydifficulty,inspiteofinexperience,ofprimitiveimplements,ofbadluckandofSnowball’streachery,theworkhadbeenfinishedpunctuallytotheveryday! Tiredoutbutproud,theanimalswalkedroundandroundtheirmasterpiece,whichappearedevenmorebeautifulintheireyesthanwhenithadbeenbuiltthefirsttime. Moreover,thewallsweretwiceasthickasbefore. Nothingshortofexplosiveswouldlaythemlowthistime! Andwhentheythoughtofhowtheyhadlaboured,whatdiscouragementstheyhadovercome,andtheenormousdifferencethatwouldbemadeintheirliveswhenthesailswereturningandthedynamosrunning—whentheythoughtofallthis,theirtirednessforsookthemandtheygambolledroundandroundthewindmill,utteringcriesoftriumph. Napoleonhimself,attendedbyhisdogsandhiscockerel,camedowntoinspectthecompletedwork;hepersonallycongratulatedtheanimalsontheirachievement,andannouncedthatthemillwouldbenamedNapoleonMill. 

           Twodayslatertheanimalswerecalledtogetherforaspecialmeetinginthebarn. TheywerestruckdumbwithsurprisewhenNapoleonannouncedthathehadsoldthepileoftimbertoFrederick. TomorrowFrederick’swagonswouldarriveandbegincartingitaway. ThroughoutthewholeperiodofhisseemingfriendshipwithPilkington,NapoleonhadreallybeeninsecretagreementwithFrederick.