Скотный двор

           Butforthefirsttimeitoccurredtohimthathewaselevenyearsoldandthatperhapshisgreatmuscleswerenotquitewhattheyhadoncebeen. 

           Butwhentheanimalssawthegreenflagflying,andheardthegunfiringagain—seventimesitwasfiredinall—andheardthespeechthatNapoleonmade,congratulatingthemontheirconduct,itdidseemtothemafterallthattheyhadwonagreatvictory. Theanimalsslaininthebattleweregivenasolemnfuneral. BoxerandCloverpulledthewagonwhichservedasahearse,andNapoleonhimselfwalkedattheheadoftheprocession. Twowholedaysweregivenovertocelebrations. Thereweresongs,speeches,andmorefiringofthegun,andaspecialgiftofanapplewasbestowedoneveryanimal,withtwoouncesofcornforeachbirdandthreebiscuitsforeachdog. ItwasannouncedthatthebattlewouldbecalledtheBattleoftheWindmill,andthatNapoleonhadcreatedanewdecoration,theOrderoftheGreenBanner,whichhehadconferreduponhimself. Inthegeneralrejoicingstheunfortunateaffairofthebanknoteswasforgotten. 

           Itwasafewdayslaterthanthisthatthepigscameuponacaseofwhiskyinthecellarsofthefarmhouse. Ithadbeenoverlookedatthetimewhenthehousewasfirstoccupied. Thatnighttherecamefromthefarmhousethesoundofloudsinging,inwhich,toeveryone’ssurprise,thestrainsof‘BeastsofEngland’weremixedup. AtabouthalfpastnineNapoleon,wearinganoldbowlerhatofMr.Jones’s,wasdistinctlyseentoemergefromthebackdoor,galloprapidlyroundtheyard,anddisappearindoorsagain. Butinthemorningadeepsilencehungoverthefarmhouse. Notapigappearedtobestirring. Itwasnearlynineo’clockwhenSquealermadehisappearance,walkingslowlyanddejectedly,hiseyesdull,histailhanginglimplybehindhim,andwitheveryappearanceofbeingseriouslyill. Hecalledtheanimalstogetherandtoldthemthathehadaterriblepieceofnewstoimpart. ComradeNapoleonwasdying!