The boy did not stir.

"He is dead," said Boxer sorrowful y. "I had no intention of doing that. I forgot that I was wearing iron shoes. Who wil believe that I did not do this on purpose?"

"No sentimentality, comrade!" cried Snowbal from whose wounds the blood was stil dripping. "War is war. The only good human being is a dead one."

"I have no wish to take life, not even human life," repeated Boxer, and his eyes were ful of tears.

"Where is Mol ie?" exclaimed somebody.

Mol ie in fact was missing. For a moment there was great alarm; it was feared that the men might have harmed her in some way, or even carried her off with them. In the end, however, she was found hiding in her stal with her head buried among the hay in the manger. She had taken to flight as soon as the gun went off. And when the others came back from looking for her, it was to find that the stable-lad, who in fact was only stunned, had already recovered and made off.

Page 12

Orwell, George : Animal Farm

The animals had now reassembled in the wildest excitement, each recounting his own exploits in the battle at the top of his voice. An impromptu celebration of the victory was held immediately. The flag was run up and Beasts of England was sung a number of times, then the sheep who had been kil ed was given a solemn funeral, a hawthorn bush being planted on her grave. At the graveside Snowbal made a little speech, emphasising the need for al animals to be ready to die for Animal Farm if need be. The animals decided unanimously to create a military decoration, "Animal Hero, First Class," which was conferred there and then on Snowbal and Boxer. It consisted of a brass medal (they were real y some old horse-brasses which had been found in the harnessroom), to be worn on Sundays and holidays. There was also "Animal Hero, Second Class," which was conferred posthumously on the dead sheep. There was much discussion as to what the battle should be cal ed. In the end, it was named the Battle of the Cowshed, since that was where the ambush had been sprung. Mr. Jones's gun had been found lying in the mud, and it was known that there was a supply of cartridges in the farmhouse. It was decided to set the gun up at the foot of the Flagstaff, like a piece of artil ery, and to fire it twice a year-once on October the twelfth, the anniversary of the Battle of the Cowshed, and once on Midsummer Day, the anniversary of the Rebel ion. V

AS WINTER drew on, Mol ie became more and more troublesome. She was late for work every morning and excused herself by saying that she had overslept, and she complained of mysterious pains, although her appetite was excel ent. On every kind of pretext she would run away from work and go to the drinking pool, where she would stand foolishly gazing at her own reflection in the water. But there were also rumours of something more serious. One day, as Mol ie strol ed blithely into the yard, flirting her long tail and chewing at a stalk of hay, Clover took her aside.