Some animals seem to remember that a commandment is “No animal must kill another animal’, instead Muriel reads . ‘No animal must kill another animal without a cause’.
That year the animals work still harder, and Squealer tells them about the production every Sunday.
Napoleon appears only once; a ‘cockerel’ announces him. He does not stay any longer with the others: the animals now call him Our Leader, Father of all the Animals or Terror of Mankind:. Minimus composes a poem about it.
In the Autumn the Windmill is finished and Napoleon decides to call it ‘Napoleon Mill’.
Two days passes, and, during a meeting, Napoleon announces he wants to sell the timber to Mr. Frederick. The animals are surprised. Squealer explains
“Snowball is living at Foxwood. Frederick pays Napoleon with money, not in checks. Look at the banknotes!” and Squealer shows them the money.
But the following day Whimper comes and tells a shocking news: the money is false.
Napoleon pronounces a death sentence on Frederick and puts sentinels to avoid an attack.
And Frederick arrives with his men. They are fifteen. It is a difficult battle. Many animals are wounded and retire looking at the men’s movements.
They see two men going to the windmill. But it is very thick, they cannot destroy it.
Only Benjamin understands: the men want to burn the mill. This provokes a new attack on the animals’ side.
The animals win, but many of them die and the windmill is destroyed.
Squealer arrives announcing the victory “What victory?” Boxer asks
“ We will build another windmill, other six windmill if we want”, Squealer replies.
And for the first time Boxer fells his age thinking of rebuilding the windmill. But after Napoleon’s speech about the celebration of the victory, the animals feel happy again.
They bury the dead animals with solemn ceremonies and a new medal is given to Napoleon, the Order of the Great Banner.
Few days later the animals hear noises and songs from the farm-house: the pig are around a case of whisky.
The day after Squealer appears and says that Comrade Napoleon is dying.
The animals cry:
“What can we do without a leader?”
At eleven o’clock Squealer announces another commandment:
‘The drinking of alcohol must be punished by death.’
The following day Squealer tells them that Napoleon is better.
A week later he gives another order:
“Throw the seeds of barley in the field for the animals who are too old to work.”
One night something strange happens: the animals hear a loud noise and see Squealer at the end of a ladder with a pot of white paint near him.
Only few days later Muriel reads the fifth commandment.
‘No animal must drink alcohol …..to excess.’