"Comrades," he said, "here is a point that must be settled. 🔊 The wild creatures, such as rats and rabbits−are they our friends or our enemies? 🔊 Let us put it to the vote. I propose this question to the meeting: Are rats comrades?" 🔊

The vote was taken at once, and it was agreed by an overwhelming majority that rats were comrades. 🔊 There were only four dissentients, the three dogs and the cat, who was afterwards discovered to have voted on both sides. 🔊 Major continued:

"I have little more to say. I merely repeat, remember always your duty of enmity towards Man and all his ways. 🔊 Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend. 🔊 And remember also that in fighting against Man, we must not come to resemble him. 🔊 Even when you have conquered him, do not adopt his vices. No animal must ever live in a house, or sleep in a bed, or wear clothes, or drink alcohol, or smoke tobacco, or touch money, or engage in trade. 🔊 All the habits of Man are evil. And, above all, no animal must ever tyrannise over his own kind. 🔊 Weak or strong, clever or simple, we are all brothers. No animal must ever kill any other animal. 🔊 All animals are equal.

"And now, comrades, I will tell you about my dream of last night. 🔊 I cannot describe that dream to you. It was a dream of the earth as it will be when Man has vanished. 🔊 But it reminded me of something that I had long forgotten. Many years ago, when I was a little pig, my mother and the other sows used to sing an old song of which they knew only the tune and the first three words. 🔊 I had known that tune in my infancy, but it had long since passed out of my mind. 🔊 Last night, however, it came back to me in my dream. And what is more, the words of the song also came back−words, I am certain, which were sung by the animals of long ago and have been lost to memory for generations. 🔊 I will sing you that song now, comrades. I am old and my voice is hoarse, but when I have taught you the tune, you can sing it better for yourselves. 🔊 It is called Beasts of England."

Old Major cleared his throat and began to sing. 🔊 As he had said, his voice was hoarse, but he sang well enough, and it was a stirring tune, something between Clementine and La Cucaracha. 🔊 The words ran:

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