← When time passed and the animals had evidently not starved to death, Frederick and Pilkington changed their tune and began to talk of the terrible wickedness that now flourished on Animal Farm. 🔊
← This was what came of rebelling against the laws of Nature, Frederick and Pilkington said. 🔊
← It was well seasoned, and Whymper had advised Napoleon to sell it; both Mr. Pilkington and Mr. Frederick were anxious to buy it. 🔊
← Napoleon was hesitating between the two, unable to make up his mind. It was noticed that whenever he seemed on the point of coming to an agreement with Frederick, Snowball was declared to be in hiding at Foxwood, while, when he inclined toward Pilkington, Snowball was said to be at Pinchfield. 🔊
← Without any further prompting they confessed that they had been secretly in touch with Snowball ever since his expulsion, that they had collaborated with him in destroying the windmill, and that they had entered into an agreement with him to hand over Animal Farm to Mr. Frederick. 🔊
← The pile of timber was still unsold. Of the two, Frederick was the more anxious to get hold of it, but he would not offer a reasonable price. 🔊
← At the same time there were renewed rumours that Frederick and his men were plotting to attack Animal Farm and to destroy the windmill, the building of which had aroused furious jealousy in him. 🔊
← Frederick, it was said, intended to bring against them twenty men all armed with guns, and he had already bribed the magistrates and police, so that if he could once get hold of the title−deeds of Animal Farm they would ask no questions. 🔊
← They were struck dumb with surprise when Napoleon announced that he had sold the pile of timber to Frederick. 🔊
← The pigeons had been told to avoid Pinchfield Farm and to alter their slogan from "Death to Frederick" to "Death to Pilkington." 🔊
← At the same time Napoleon assured the animals that the stories of an impending attack on Animal Farm were completely untrue, and that the tales about Frederick's cruelty to his own animals had been greatly exaggerated. 🔊
← But the superior quality of Napoleon's mind, said Squealer, was shown in the fact that he trusted nobody, not even Frederick. 🔊
← Already Frederick had paid up; and the sum he had paid was just enough to buy the machinery for the windmill. 🔊
← Meanwhile the timber was being carted away at high speed. When it was all gone, another special meeting was held in the barn for the animals to inspect Frederick's bank−notes. 🔊
← The banknotes were forgeries! Frederick had got the timber for nothing! 🔊
← When captured, he said, Frederick should be boiled alive. At the same time he warned them that after this treacherous deed the worst was to be expected. 🔊
← Frederick and his men might make their long−expected attack at any moment. Sentinels were placed at all the approaches to the farm. 🔊
← The very next morning the attack came. The animals were at breakfast when the look−outs came racing in with the news that Frederick and his followers had already come through the five−barred gate. 🔊
← On it was pencilled the words: "Serves you right." Meanwhile Frederick and his men had halted about the windmill. 🔊
← They saw that they were in danger of being surrounded. Frederick shouted to his men to get out while the going was good, and the next moment the cowardly enemy was running for dear life. 🔊