Animal Farm

Animal Farm

George Orwell

1945

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Mr. Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but

was too drunk to remember to shut the popholes. With the ring of light from

his lantern dancing from side to side, he lurched across the yard, kicked off his

boots at the back door, drew himself a last glass of beer from the barrel in the

scullery, and made his way up to bed, where Mrs. Jones was already snoring.

As soon as the light in the bedroom went out there was a stirring and a

fluttering all through the farm buildings. Word had gone round during the day

that old Major, the prize Middle White boar, had had a strange dream on the

previous night and wished to communicate it to the other animals. It had been

agreed that they should all meet in the big barn as soon as Mr. Jones was safely

out of the way. Old Major (so he was always called, though the name under

which he had been exhibited was Willingdon Beauty) was so highly regarded on

the farm that everyone was quite ready to lose an hour’s sleep in order to hear

what he had to say.

At one end of the big barn, on a sort of raised platform, Major was already

ensconced on his bed of straw, under a lantern which hung from a beam. He was

twelve years old and had lately grown rather stout, but he was still a majesticlooking pig, with a wise and benevolent appearance in spite of the fact that his

tushes had never been cut. Before long the other animals began to arrive and

make themselves comfortable after their different fashions. First came the three

dogs, Bluebell, Jessie, and Pincher, and then the pigs, who settled down in the

straw immediately in front of the platform. The hens perched themselves on

the window-sills, the pigeons fluttered up to the rafters, the sheep and cows lay

down behind the pigs and began to chew the cud. The two cart-horses, Boxer

and Clover, came in together, walking very slowly and setting down their vast

hairy hoofs with great care lest there should be...