Chapter 4
All the other farms in summer know about the revolt of Animal Farm thanks to the pigeons that tell everybody the story. Mr. Jones is always drinking in the inn of the Red Lion. He tells the other farmers about the revolt, but nobody helps him at first.
There are two farms next to Animal Farm: Foxwood of Mr. Pilkington, a bad farmer, and Pinchfield of Mr. Frederick, a small farm well organized. They never agree with each other, they do not believe in Animal Farm and in the ability of the animals. Anyway, time passing, they recognize that the farm is well organized and become afraid. So they start speaking of act of cannibalism and torture in the farm among the animals. Nevertheless all the animals of the other farms start being savage and singing Beasts of England.
Finally in October a group of pigeons arrived at Animal Farm to say that Mr. Jones is coming with some men to fight against them.
But the animals are ready and when the men arrive, pigeons and gees create disorders, while Snowball, Benjamin, Muriel and the sheep try to kick the men from every side.
However the men are strong and enter the yard. At that moment Snowball, even if injured, threw stones and Boxer starts kicking until he kills a man. Looking at this scene, the other men run away.
All the animals are happy, only Boxer says ‘I have no intention of killing a man’.
Everyone has a part in the battle, except Mollie. They meet and sing excited after the burial of the dead sheep. Snowball and Boxer have a decoration and the animals decide to celebrate the battle with the name of Cowshed.
At the end Snowball puts Ir. Jones’s gun near the flagstaff.
One day Clover speaks to Mollie. She says: ‘Mollie I see you are often speaking with a man from Foxwood. Why?”
Mollie’s answer is “It is not true, I Never speak with men.”
A ss a matter of fact Clover finds in Mollie’s stall sugar and ribbons.
Three days later Mollie is no more in the farm. The pigeons see her at a dogcart and the animals do not speak about Mollie any more.
In winter the work is hard and the animals have to meet a lot of times to organize what to do. Snowball and Napoleon are always quarrelling. Snowball has the approval of many animals, Napoleon only that of the sheep. These always sing ‘Four legs good, two legs bad’ when Snowball is speaking.
Snowball is organizing new facilities for the animals, for example he wants to build a wind-mill to supply electrical power to the farm.
In this way they can nave light and can be warm.
Besides tools and machines can work using electricity. Snowball organizes everything for the windmill with the help of three books. Only napoleon does not agree about this plan: he wants to increase the production of food to defend the farm because the construction of the windmill is hard and difficult.
So the animals do not know in which theory to believe, a part from Benjamin who does not say his ideas.
At last Snowball proposes the animals to vote. He speaks passionately on the importance of the windmill while Napoleon says few words against it. So Snowball thinks he is right, when Napoleon stands up and, with a strange voice, says something: nine dogs break into the barn and run towards Snowball who has to run away. He will never return.
These dogs are the ones Napoleon is educating and they return back to him. They move their tail as dogs use to do with Mr. Jones.
Napoleon goes to speak on the same place of Old Major’s speech about the rebellion.
“Our Sunday’s meeting must finish now – he says – they aren’t necessary. A group of pigs will establish the work for the week without discussion. We will meet only to sing our hymn Beasts of England in front of the flag and then we will go to work.”
After the speech the dogs grin at the animals that show disapproval and the sheep start bleating ‘four legs good two legs bad.’
Squealer then explains “Comrade Napoleon is making a great sacrifice: he will work more for us. You can make some mistakes, you can follow Snowball for example and Napoleon will prevent you to do this. You don’t want Mr. Jones to be back again, won’t you?”
These words stop the animals to speak. Boxer starts saying a new motto: ‘Napoleon is always right!’
Three weeks pass after Snowball’s escape and Napoleon orders “We must build the windmill”
The animals are surprised. Together with Napoleon now there are always Minimus – the pig poet – and Squealer. This last explains that Napoleon is the real creator of the windmill. It is not Snowball’s plan.
“Napoleon seems to oppose Snowball’s plan because he wants to make Snowball escape. This is tactics, comrades, tactics.”
The animals do not understand the word ‘tactic’, but they remain silent: they do not want Mr. Jones to return!