← Boxer was the admiration of everybody. He had been a hard worker even in Jones's time, but now he seemed more like three horses than one; there were days when the entire work of the farm seemed to rest on his mighty shoulders. 🔊
← All the men were gone except one. Back in the yard Boxer was pawing with his hoof at the stable−lad who lay face down in the mud, trying to turn him over. 🔊
← Boxer would even come out at nights and work for an hour or two on his own by the light of the harvest moon. 🔊
← "But he was wounded," said Boxer. "We all saw him running with blood." "That was part of the arrangement!" 🔊
← Boxer saw them coming and put out his great hoof, caught a dog in mid−air, and pinned him to the ground. 🔊
← The animals could not face the terrible explosions and the stinging pellets, and in spite of the efforts of Napoleon and Boxer to rally them, they were soon driven back. 🔊
← "Then we have won back what we had before," said Boxer. "That is our victory," said Squealer. 🔊
← BOXER'S split hoof was a long time in healing. They had started the rebuilding of the windmill the day after the victory celebrations were ended. Boxer refused to take even a day off work, and made it a point of honour not to let it be seen that he was in pain. 🔊
← "A horse's lungs do not last for ever," she said to him. But Boxer would not listen. 🔊
← However, Benjamin and Clover could only be with Boxer after working hours, and it was in the middle of the day when the van came to take him away. 🔊
← They are taking Boxer to the knacker's! " 🔊
← "Boxer!" she cried. "Boxer! Boxer! Boxer!" And just at this moment, as though he had heard the uproar outside, Boxer's face, with the white stripe down his nose, appeared at the small window at the back of the van. 🔊
← All the animals took up the cry of "Get out, Boxer, get out!" But the van was already gathering speed and drawing away from them. 🔊
← It was uncertain whether Boxer had understood what Clover had said. But a moment later his face disappeared from the window and there was the sound of a tremendous drumming of hoofs inside the van. 🔊
← He was trying to kick his way out. The time had been when a few kicks from Boxer's hoofs would have smashed the van to matchwood. 🔊
← Boxer was never seen again. Three days later it was announced that he had died in the hospital at Willingdon, in spite of receiving every attention a horse could have. 🔊
← Squealer came to announce the news to the others. He had, he said, been present during Boxer's last hours. 🔊
← It had come to his knowledge, he said, that a foolish and wicked rumour had been circulated at the time of Boxer's removal. 🔊
← Some of the animals had noticed that the van which took Boxer away was marked "Horse Slaughterer," and had actually jumped to the conclusion that Boxer was being sent to the knacker's. 🔊
← It had not been possible, he said, to bring back their lamented comrade's remains for interment on the farm, but he had ordered a large wreath to be made from the laurels in the farmhouse garden and sent down to be placed on Boxer's grave. 🔊