Скотний двір
Chapter 7
"Ah,thatisdifferent!"saidBoxer. "IfComradeNapoleonsaysit,itmustberight."
"Thatisthetruespirit,comrade!"criedSquealer,butitwasnoticedhecastaveryuglylookatBoxerwithhislittletwinklingeyes. Heturnedtogo,thenpausedandaddedimpressively: "Iwarneveryanimalonthisfarmtokeephiseyesverywideopen. ForwehavereasontothinkthatsomeofSnowball’ssecretagentsarelurkingamongusatthismoment!"
Fourdayslater,inthelateafternoon,Napoleonorderedalltheanimalstoassembleintheyard. Whentheywereallgatheredtogether,Napoleonemergedfromthefarmhouse,wearingbothhismedals(forhehadrecentlyawardedhimself"AnimalHero,FirstClass",and"AnimalHero,SecondClass"),withhisninehugedogsfriskingroundhimandutteringgrowlsthatsentshiversdownalltheanimals’spines. Theyallcoweredsilentlyintheirplaces,seemingtoknowinadvancethatsometerriblethingwasabouttohappen.
Napoleonstoodsternlysurveyinghisaudience;thenheutteredahigh-pitchedwhimper. Immediatelythedogsboundedforward,seizedfourofthepigsbytheearanddraggedthem,squealingwithpainandterror,toNapoleon’sfeet. Thepigs’earswerebleeding,thedogshadtastedblood,andforafewmomentstheyappearedtogoquitemad. Totheamazementofeverybody,threeofthemflungthemselvesuponBoxer. Boxersawthemcomingandputouthisgreathoof,caughtadoginmid-air,andpinnedhimtotheground. Thedogshriekedformercyandtheothertwofledwiththeirtailsbetweentheirlegs. BoxerlookedatNapoleontoknowwhetherheshouldcrushthedogtodeathorletitgo. Napoleonappearedtochangecountenance,andsharplyorderedBoxertoletthedoggo,whereatBoxerliftedhishoof,andthedogslunkaway,bruisedandhowling.
