Скотный двор

           Therehadbeenatime—notthathe,oranyofthepresentcompany,hadsharedsuchsentiments—buttherehadbeenatimewhentherespectedproprietorsofAnimalFarmhadbeenregarded,hewouldnotsaywithhostility,butperhapswithacertainmeasureofmisgiving,bytheirhumanneighbours. Unfortunateincidentshadoccurred,mistakenideashadbeencurrent. Ithadbeenfeltthattheexistenceofafarmownedandoperatedbypigswassomehowabnormalandwasliabletohaveanunsettlingeffectintheneighbourhood. Toomanyfarmershadassumed,withoutdueenquiry,thatonsuchafarmaspiritoflicenceandindisciplinewouldprevail. Theyhadbeennervousabouttheeffectsupontheirownanimals,orevenupontheirhumanemployees. Butallsuchdoubtswerenowdispelled. TodayheandhisfriendshadvisitedAnimalFarmandinspectedeveryinchofitwiththeirowneyes,andwhatdidtheyfind? Notonlythemostup-to-datemethods,butadisciplineandanorderlinesswhichshouldbeanexampletoallfarmerseverywhere. HebelievedthathewasrightinsayingthattheloweranimalsonAnimalFarmdidmoreworkandreceivedlessfoodthananyanimalsinthecounty. Indeed,heandhisfellow-visitorstodayhadobservedmanyfeatureswhichtheyintendedtointroduceontheirownfarmsimmediately. 

           Hewouldendhisremarks,hesaid,byemphasisingonceagainthefriendlyfeelingsthatsubsisted,andoughttosubsist,betweenAnimalFarmanditsneighbours. Betweenpigsandhumanbeingstherewasnot,andthereneednotbe,anyclashofinterestswhatever. Theirstrugglesandtheirdifficultieswereone. Wasnotthelabourproblemthesameeverywhere? HereitbecameapparentthatMr.Pilkingtonwasabouttospringsomecarefullypreparedwitticismonthecompany,butforamomenthewastooovercomebyamusementtobeabletoutterit. Aftermuchchoking,duringwhichhisvariouschinsturnedpurple,hemanagedtogetitout: "Ifyouhaveyourloweranimalstocontendwith,"hesaid,"wehaveourlowerclasses!"