← As soon as the light in the bedroom went out there was a stirring and a fluttering all through the farm buildings. 🔊
← They were so delighted with the song that they sang it right through five times in succession, and might have continued singing it all night if they had not been interrupted. 🔊
← And so, almost before they knew what was happening, the Rebellion had been successfully carried through: Jones was expelled, and the Manor Farm was theirs. 🔊
← No animal shall kill any other animal. 7. All animals are equal. It was very neatly written, and except that "friend" was written "freind" and one of the "S's" was the wrong way round, the spelling was correct all the way through. 🔊
← And not an animal on the farm had stolen so much as a mouthful. All through that summer the work of the farm went like clockwork. 🔊
← They met with many difficulties−for instance, later in the year, when they harvested the corn, they had to tread it out in the ancient style and blow away the chaff with their breath, since the farm possessed no threshing machine−but the pigs with their cleverness and Boxer with his tremendous muscles always pulled them through. 🔊
← Early in October, when the corn was cut and stacked and some of it was already threshed, a flight of pigeons came whirling through the air and alighted in the yard of Animal Farm in the wildest excitement. 🔊
← But once again the men, with their sticks and their hobnailed boots, were too strong for them; and suddenly, at a squeal from Snowball, which was the signal for retreat, all the animals turned and fled through the gateway into the yard. 🔊
← In a moment he was out of the door and they were after him. Too amazed and frightened to speak, all the animals crowded through the door to watch the chase. 🔊
← Then he put on an extra spurt and, with a few inches to spare, slipped through a hole in the hedge and was seen no more. 🔊
← Except through Whymper, there was as yet no contact between Animal Farm and the outside world, but there were constant rumours that Napoleon was about to enter into a definite business agreement either with Mr. Pilkington of Foxwood or with Mr. Frederick of Pinchfield−but never, it was noticed, with both simultaneously. 🔊
← Frequently he did not even appear on Sunday mornings, but issued his orders through one of the other pigs, usually Squealer. 🔊
← Napoleon had accepted, through Whymper, a contract for four hundred eggs a week. The price of these would pay for enough grain and meal to keep the farm going till summer came on and conditions were easier. 🔊
← So Beasts of England was heard no more. In its place Minimus, the poet, had composed another song which began: Animal Farm, Animal Farm, Never through me shalt thou come to harm! 🔊
← All orders were now issued through Squealer or one of the other pigs. Napoleon himself was not seen in public as often as once in a fortnight. 🔊
← The relations between Napoleon and Pilkington, though they were only conducted through Whymper, were now almost friendly. 🔊
← 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. 🔊
← The animals chased them right down to the bottom of the field, and got in some last kicks at them as they forced their way through the thorn hedge. 🔊
← Boxer's face did not reappear at the window. Too late, someone thought of racing ahead and shutting the five−barred gate; but in another moment the van was through it and rapidly disappearing down the road. 🔊
← It was as though the world had turned upside−down. Then there came a moment when the first shock had worn off and when, in spite of everything−in spite of their terror of the dogs, and of the habit, developed through long years, of never complaining, never criticising, no matter what happened−they might have uttered some word of protest. 🔊