Chapter 6

           Allthatyeartheanimalsworkedlikeslaves. Buttheywerehappyintheirwork;theygrudgednoeffortorsacrifice,wellawarethateverythingthattheydidwasforthebenefitofthemselvesandthoseoftheirkindwhowouldcomeafterthem,andnotforapackofidle,thievinghumanbeings. 

           Throughoutthespringandsummertheyworkedasixty-hourweek,andinAugustNapoleonannouncedthattherewouldbeworkonSundayafternoonsaswell. Thisworkwasstrictlyvoluntary,butanyanimalwhoabsentedhimselffromitwouldhavehisrationsreducedbyhalf. Evenso,itwasfoundnecessarytoleavecertaintasksundone. Theharvestwasalittlelesssuccessfulthaninthepreviousyear,andtwofieldswhichshouldhavebeensownwithrootsintheearlysummerwerenotsownbecausetheploughinghadnotbeencompletedearlyenough. Itwaspossibletoforeseethatthecomingwinterwouldbeahardone. 

           Thewindmillpresentedunexpecteddifficulties. Therewasagoodquarryoflimestoneonthefarm,andplentyofsandandcementhadbeenfoundinoneoftheouthouses,sothatallthematerialsforbuildingwereathand. Buttheproblemtheanimalscouldnotatfirstsolvewashowtobreakupthestoneintopiecesofsuitablesize. Thereseemednowayofdoingthisexceptwithpicksandcrowbars,whichnoanimalcoulduse,becausenoanimalcouldstandonhishindlegs. Onlyafterweeksofvaineffortdidtherightideaoccurtosomebody-namely,toutilisetheforceofgravity. Hugeboulders,fartoobigtobeusedastheywere,werelyingalloverthebedofthequarry. Theanimalslashedropesroundthese,andthenalltogether,cows,horses,sheep,anyanimalthatcouldlayholdoftherope—eventhepigssometimesjoinedinatcriticalmoments—theydraggedthemwithdesperateslownessuptheslopetothetopofthequarry,wheretheyweretoppledovertheedge,toshattertopiecesbelow.