Скотный двор

           Therehadalsobeenaverystrangecustom,whoseoriginwasunknown,ofmarchingeverySundaymorningpastaboar’sskullwhichwasnailedtoapostinthegarden. This,too,wouldbesuppressed,andtheskullhadalreadybeenburied. Hisvisitorsmighthaveobserved,too,thegreenflagwhichflewfromthemasthead. Ifso,theywouldperhapshavenotedthatthewhitehoofandhornwithwhichithadpreviouslybeenmarkedhadnowbeenremoved. Itwouldbeaplaingreenflagfromnowonwards. 

           Hehadonlyonecriticism,hesaid,tomakeofMr.Pilkington’sexcellentandneighbourlyspeech. Mr.Pilkingtonhadreferredthroughoutto"AnimalFarm." Hecouldnotofcourseknow—forhe,Napoleon,wasonlynowforthefirsttimeannouncingit—thatthename"AnimalFarm"hadbeenabolished. Henceforwardthefarmwastobeknownas"TheManorFarm"—which,hebelieved,wasitscorrectandoriginalname. 

           "Gentlemen,"concludedNapoleon,"Iwillgiveyouthesametoastasbefore,butinadifferentform. Fillyourglassestothebrim. Gentlemen,hereismytoast: TotheprosperityofTheManorFarm!" 

           Therewasthesameheartycheeringasbefore,andthemugswereemptiedtothedregs. Butastheanimalsoutsidegazedatthescene,itseemedtothemthatsomestrangethingwashappening. Whatwasitthathadalteredinthefacesofthepigs? Clover’solddimeyesflittedfromonefacetoanother. Someofthemhadfivechins,somehadfour,somehadthree. Butwhatwasitthatseemedtobemeltingandchanging? Then,theapplausehavingcometoanend,thecompanytookuptheircardsandcontinuedthegamethathadbeeninterrupted,andtheanimalscreptsilentlyaway. 

           Buttheyhadnotgonetwentyyardswhentheystoppedshort. Anuproarofvoiceswascomingfromthefarmhouse. Theyrushedbackandlookedthroughthewindowagain.