Скотный двор

           OnthesamedayitwasgivenoutthatfreshdocumentshadbeendiscoveredwhichrevealedfurtherdetailsaboutSnowball’scomplicitywithJones. ItnowappearedthatSnowballhadnot,astheanimalshadpreviouslyimagined,merelyattemptedtolosetheBattleoftheCowshedbymeansofastratagem,buthadbeenopenlyfightingonJones’sside. Infact,itwashewhohadactuallybeentheleaderofthehumanforces,andhadchargedintobattlewiththewords"LongliveHumanity!"onhislips. ThewoundsonSnowball’sback,whichafewoftheanimalsstillrememberedtohaveseen,hadbeeninflictedbyNapoleon’steeth. 

           InthemiddleofthesummerMosestheravensuddenlyreappearedonthefarm,afteranabsenceofseveralyears. Hewasquiteunchanged,stilldidnowork,andtalkedinthesamestrainaseveraboutSugarcandyMountain. Hewouldperchonastump,flaphisblackwings,andtalkbythehourtoanyonewhowouldlisten. "Upthere,comrades,"hewouldsaysolemnly,pointingtotheskywithhislargebeak—"upthere,justontheothersideofthatdarkcloudthatyoucansee—thereitlies,SugarcandyMountain,thathappycountrywherewepooranimalsshallrestforeverfromourlabours!" Heevenclaimedtohavebeenthereononeofhishigherflights,andtohaveseentheeverlastingfieldsofcloverandthelinseedcakeandlumpsugargrowingonthehedges. Manyoftheanimalsbelievedhim. Theirlivesnow,theyreasoned,werehungryandlaborious;wasitnotrightandjustthatabetterworldshouldexistsomewhereelse? AthingthatwasdifficulttodeterminewastheattitudeofthepigstowardsMoses. TheyalldeclaredcontemptuouslythathisstoriesaboutSugarcandyMountainwerelies,andyettheyallowedhimtoremainonthefarm,notworking,withanallowanceofagillofbeeraday. 

           Afterhishoofhadhealedup,Boxerworkedharderthanever. Indeed,alltheanimalsworkedlikeslavesthatyear.