Скотний двір
Chapter 4
"Heisdead,"saidBoxersorrowfully."Ihadnointentionofdoingthat. IforgotthatIwaswearingironshoes. WhowillbelievethatIdidnotdothisonpurpose?"
"Nosentimentality,comrade!"criedSnowballfromwhosewoundsthebloodwasstilldripping. "Wariswar.Theonlygoodhumanbeingisadeadone."
"Ihavenowishtotakelife,notevenhumanlife,"repeatedBoxer,andhiseyeswerefulloftears.
"WhereisMollie?"exclaimedsomebody.
Mollieinfactwasmissing. Foramomenttherewasgreatalarm;itwasfearedthatthemenmighthaveharmedherinsomeway,orevencarriedheroffwiththem. Intheend,however,shewasfoundhidinginherstallwithherheadburiedamongthehayinthemanger. Shehadtakentoflightassoonasthegunwentoff. Andwhentheotherscamebackfromlookingforher,itwastofindthatthestable-lad,whoinfactwasonlystunned,hadalreadyrecoveredandmadeoff.
Theanimalshadnowreassembledinthewildestexcitement,eachrecountinghisownexploitsinthebattleatthetopofhisvoice. Animpromptucelebrationofthevictorywasheldimmediately. Theflagwasrunupand‘BeastsofEngland’wassunganumberoftimes,thenthesheepwhohadbeenkilledwasgivenasolemnfuneral,ahawthornbushbeingplantedonhergrave. AtthegravesideSnowballmadealittlespeech,emphasisingtheneedforallanimalstobereadytodieforAnimalFarmifneedbe.
Theanimalsdecidedunanimouslytocreateamilitarydecoration,"AnimalHero,FirstClass,"whichwasconferredthereandthenonSnowballandBoxer.
