← The animals had now reassembled in the wildest excitement, each recounting his own exploits in the battle at the top of his voice. 🔊
← There was much discussion as to what the battle should be called. In the end, it was named the Battle of the Cowshed, since that was where the ambush had been sprung. 🔊
← It was decided to set the gun up at the foot of the Flagstaff, like a piece of artillery, and to fire it twice a year−once on October the twelfth, the anniversary of the Battle of the Cowshed, and once on Midsummer Day, the anniversary of the Rebellion. 🔊
← It was fully realised that though the human beings had been defeated in the Battle of the Cowshed they might make another and more determined attempt to recapture the farm and reinstate Mr. Jones. 🔊
← "He fought bravely at the Battle of the Cowshed," said somebody. "Bravery is not enough," said Squealer. 🔊
← "Loyalty and obedience are more important. And as to the Battle of the Cowshed, I believe the time will come when we shall find that Snowball's part in it was much exaggerated. 🔊
← To my mind this explains a great deal, comrades. Did we not see for ourselves how he attempted−fortunately without success−to get us defeated and destroyed at the Battle of the Cowshed?" 🔊
← But it was some minutes before they could fully take it in. They all remembered, or thought they remembered, how they had seen Snowball charging ahead of them at the Battle of the Cowshed, how he had rallied and encouraged them at every turn, and how he had not paused for an instant even when the pellets from Jones's gun had wounded his back. 🔊
← "I do not believe that," he said. "Snowball fought bravely at the Battle of the Cowshed. 🔊
← At any rate, they remembered that at the critical moment of the battle Snowball had turned to flee. 🔊
← "What he has done since is different. But I believe that at the Battle of the Cowshed he was a good comrade." 🔊
← This was merely a legend which had been spread some time after the Battle of the Cowshed by Snowball himself. 🔊
← So far from being decorated, he had been censured for showing cowardice in the battle. 🔊
← Boldly enough the animals sallied forth to meet them, but this time they did not have the easy victory that they had had in the Battle of the Cowshed. 🔊
← It was a savage, bitter battle. The men fired again and again, and, when the animals got to close quarters, lashed out with their sticks and their heavy boots. 🔊
← The animals slain in the battle were given a solemn funeral. Boxer and Clover pulled the wagon which served as a hearse, and Napoleon himself walked at the head of the procession. 🔊
← It was announced that the battle would be called the Battle of the Windmill, and that Napoleon had created a new decoration, the Order of the Green Banner, which he had conferred upon himself. 🔊
← It now appeared that Snowball had not, as the animals had previously imagined, merely attempted to lose the Battle of the Cowshed by means of a stratagem, but had been openly fighting on Jones's side. 🔊
← In fact, it was he who had actually been the leader of the human forces, and had charged into battle with the words "Long live Humanity!" 🔊
← And when they heard the gun booming and saw the green flag fluttering at the masthead, their hearts swelled with imperishable pride, and the talk turned always towards the old heroic days, the expulsion of Jones, the writing of the Seven Commandments, the great battles in which the human invaders had been defeated. 🔊