One day in early summer Squealer ordered the sheep to follow him, and led them out to a piece of waste ground at the other end of the farm, which had become overgrown with birch saplings. 🔊 The sheep spent the whole day there browsing at the leaves under Squealer's supervision. 🔊 In the evening he returned to the farmhouse himself, but, as it was warm weather, told the sheep to stay where they were. 🔊 It ended by their remaining there for a whole week, during which time the other animals saw nothing of them. 🔊 Squealer was with them for the greater part of every day. He was, he said, teaching them to sing a new song, for which privacy was needed. 🔊 It was just after the sheep had returned, on a pleasant evening when the animals had finished work and were making their way back to the farm buildings, that the terrified neighing of a horse sounded from the yard. 🔊 Startled, the animals stopped in their tracks. It was Clover's voice. She neighed again, and all the animals broke into a gallop and rushed into the yard. 🔊 Then they saw what Clover had seen. It was a pig walking on his hind legs. 🔊

Yes, it was Squealer. A little awkwardly, as though not quite used to supporting his considerable bulk in that position, but with perfect balance, he was strolling across the yard. 🔊 And a moment later, out from the door of the farmhouse came a long file of pigs, all walking on their hind legs. 🔊 Some did it better than others, one or two were even a trifle unsteady and looked as though they would have liked the support of a stick, but every one of them made his way right round the yard successfully. 🔊 And finally there was a tremendous baying of dogs and a shrill crowing from the black cockerel, and out came Napoleon himself, majestically upright, casting haughty glances from side to side, and with his dogs gambolling round him. 🔊

He carried a whip in his trotter.

🔊