He said that the education of the young was more important than anything that could be done for those who were already grown up. It happened that Jessie and Bluebel had both whelped soon after the hay harvest, giving birth between them to nine sturdy puppies. As soon as they were weaned, Napoleon took them away from their mothers, saying that he would make himself responsible for their education. He took them up into a loft which could only be reached by a ladder from the harness-room, and there kept them in such seclusion that the rest of the farm soon forgot their existence. The mystery of where the milk went to was soon cleared up. It was mixed every day into the pigs' mash. The early apples were now ripening, and the grass of the orchard was littered with windfal s. The animals had assumed as a matter of course that these would be shared out equal y; one day, however, the order went forth that al the windfal s were to be col ected and brought to the harness-room for the use of the pigs. At this some of the other animals murmured, but it was no use. Al the pigs were in f ul agreement on this point, even Snowbal and Napoleon. Squealer was sent to make the necessary explanations to the others.

"Comrades!" he cried. "You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actual y dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the wel -being of a pig. We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organisation of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! Surely, comrades," cried Squealer almost pleadingly, skipping from side to side and whisking his tail, "surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?"

Now if there was one thing that the animals were completely certain of, it was that they did not want Jones back. When it was put to them in this light, they had no more to say. The importance of keeping the pigs in good health was al too obvious. So it was agreed without further argument that the milk and the windfal apples (and also the main crop of apples when they ripened) should be reserved for the pigs alone. Page 10

Orwell, George : Animal Farm

IV

BY THE late summer the news of what had happened on Animal Farm had spread across half the county. Every day Snowbal and Napoleon sent out flights of pigeons whose instructions were to mingle with the animals on neighbouring farms, tel them the story of the Rebel ion, and teach them the tune of Beasts of England. Most of this time Mr. Jones had spent sitting in the taproom of the Red Lion at Wil ingdon, complaining to anyone who would listen of the monstrous injustice he had suffered in being turned out of his property by a pack of good-for-nothing animals. The other farmers sympathised in principle, but they did not at first give him much help. At heart, each of them was secretly wondering whether he could not somehow turn Jones's misfortune to his own advantage.