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Vladimir PRIBYLOVSKY
ANIMAL FARM-2
Chapter 1(11)
Since that time many years had passed. The old pig Napoleon outlived all of his coevals, but died nevertheless. Shortly before his death, he became completely senile: he ordered the dogs to rip each other apart without any rational cause and devoured pork chops from the carcasses of slaughtered pigs. He drank straight whisky and then feasted on raw meat from executed dogs. For months he was hidden from everyone in the back room of Farmer Jones’ house- again he forbid walking on two legs as an obvious infringement of the principles of Animalism. When his carcass, already eaten away by worms, was found in the back room of the house, a rumour spread among the animals that a young pig, not wanting to be turned into pork chops, added a little something extra to Napoleon’s whisky.
After the death of Napoleon, the pigs struggled for control over the farm for several weeks, setting the dogs against each other. Almost every morning a new corpse was found on the floor of the barn with traces of fangs on its throat. The pigs said that this was yet another enemy of the animals who died of natural causes which, compelled by humanity, made a drunkard of Napoleon during the last years of his life.
At last everything was somehow settled. The Swineburo was declared the supreme authority of the farm, led by the pig ‘Breeder’ - a middle aged grey pig named Pleshka. Napoleon had turned all of Pleshka’s immediate family into pork chops, but he loved Pleshka for his cheerful nature and, consequently, his turn to be chopped up was always put off.
After becoming acquainted with the archives of the farm, Pleshka declared to all the animals that the hero of the Revolt, the powerful cart-horse Boxer, did not die, as stated in the former official version, in his stall from old age, repeating the well-known aphorism, “Napoleon is always right!” It turns out, by order of Napoleon, poor old Boxer was sold to a biped’s slaughterhouse, where they cruelly murdered him, boiled his bones for glue, and canned his flesh for dogs. In the same manner, it turns out, many other worthy animals perished- heroes of the Revolt and the construction of the Windmill. The evil advisor of Napoleon, the Boar Squealer slanderously declared them agents of the bipeds and unjustifiably executed them.
The Breeder Pleshka declared that it was necessary to restore the purity of the principles of Animalism. The main commandment, which was put forth by the legendary Old Major and for some reason forgotten under Napoleon, went like this, “No animals shall eat another animal.” These words were triumphantly renewed on the outer wall of the barn. Furthermore, Pleshka said that in the very near future, he would also restore the commandment “All animals are equal.” For the introduction of this commandment, the only action necessary was for all animals to achieve full piggishness, namely, having learned to read and write well, as well as be engaged in supervising and directing activities on the farm.
Concerning bipedal movement, Pleshka approached the question dialectically. For all those who carried out business negotiations with representatives of humanity, it was not only permissible to walk on two legs, but directly ordered. For this reason, a few geese, being the most capable of bipedal movement, were introduced into the ranks of the Swine Committee for External Relations (and then gradually they entered a few other Swine Committees, or Swinecoms). For the remaining animals, upright walking was not forbidden, but also somehow not welcome. Young piglets loved to walk around the farm on their hind legs, especially when there were no dogs nearby: the dogs did not approve of this fashion.
Pleshka himself, having drank three glasses of whisky, disclosed to the geese that he too loved to wander on his hind legs sometimes, but through the years it became harder and harder for him. Therefore, the fashion of walking on one’s hind legs became more and more dangerous for its fans. The dogs could bite very painfully for this.
But another heresy, which was picked up by some animals who had visited neighbouring farms on official duties, became even more dangerous. They began to speak about the possibility of “beastliness with a human face,” and they even tried to win Pleshka over to their side. At first Pleshka simply did not understand them, and when he did, he became furious. He sent the dogs after any pig perceived to have a human face, and ordered them to tear off their tails at the tailbone. And so it was done, and the dogs executed the order by their own understanding- they tore the tails off of not only pigs, but sheep, geese and hens, and not only for a human face, but also for walking upright, and not only chomping on their tailbone, but sometimes their head. Pleshka did not approve of such a wide interpretation of his own orders and occasionally arranged for the dogs to be taken out.
For this, the dogs did not like Pleshka very much. It ended when they made an arrangement with the pigs and to expel Pleshka from the Swineburo. For the new Breeder the pigs selected Breshka.
In the cellar of Farmer Jones’ house, Breeder Breshka found a large tank full of fuel oil that the father of Jones had apparently buried in reserve. Breshka carried out business negotiations with the bipedal Farmer Frederick and in exchange for a year’s worth of eggs and the entire stock of sheep’s wool, Breshka received a large pipe. Through this pipe, oil began to pump to the farms of Frederick and other bipeds. In exchange, the bipeds sent whisky, mixed fodder, and straw. In a couple of years, first the pigs, then the other animal’s fodder rations increased.
Because of purchases from the pipe and contact with bipeds from exchanging goods in kind for the delivery of oil to the farms, the harmful influence of mankind strengthened. The theory “beastliness with a human face” achieved, beyond the endeavours of the dogs to stop it, widespread circulation. The geese became particular supporters of “beastliness with a human face.” They often let it be known that they considered bipedal movement the inalienable right of the most clever and noisiest animals, and made absurd assertions, suggesting, for example, that not only pigs, but also geese and maybe even all animals were, “more equal than other animals.” Some of the geese, taking advantage of the laziness of the dogs, left for the other side of the fence, and then hissed and cackled from beyond, enticing sheep and hens still in slavery to escape to the bipeds. It was said that for this, Farmer Pilkington fed them well.
A few especially impudent geese even began to assert that all animals should aspire to bipedal movement and humanity. For this heresy, the setters locked such geese in the cellar for re-education, or simply tore them to pieces.
Following the bad example of the geese, other animals on the farm - the sheep, cows, horses, a few pigs and even hens began hissing and cackling (when the dogs were not listening).
To annoy Pilkington and bipeds in general, Breeder Breshka sent a flight of pigeons to the animals of the neighbouring old and very neglected estate Southern with orders to organize a revolt of the animals against the local biped owner. The revolt was a success, and the owner of estate Southern was locked in the cellar by local pigs and dogs and starved to death.
A group of dogs, sent to help the animals of Southern, found out that the number of pigs there was very insignificant, and that sheep, draft horses, and hens were nowhere to be seen at all. The four-legged population of estate Southern consisted mainly of half-wild, horned and very aggressive beasts completely unlike ordinary goats, rams and buffalos. They did not want to recognize the authority of pigs over themselves, and at every chance encounter with foreign pigs and dogs, they completely brutalized and beat them to death with their horns and hoofs. As a result, in order to keep control over even just the central manor of estate Southern, it was always necessary to send more and more adviser pigs, new packs of dogs, horses and sheep.
From chagrin and old age, the Breeder Breshka died.
After him, Animal Farm began a whole year ruled by the old fanged dog Andron. Breeder Andron had bad kidneys, spoiled by many years of consuming rubbish in service to Breshka. The dog Andron not only toughened the punishment for cackling and hissing, but forbid bleating and quacking as well. He also tried to encroach on grunting, but died, either naturally or murdered by the pigs. After him an old pig, Chernysh, brother of the late Breeder Breshka, rose to authority. But he too died soon after. Finally the pigs selected for Breeder a young, spotty boar named Mishka, known for his love of upright walking.
Breeder Mishka began by restoring the lost commandment: “No animal shall drink alcohol,” writing it on the wall of the barn in very large letters above Pleshka’s commandment, “No animal shall eat another animal.” It was soon found out that he was not only fond of walking on his hind legs, but a secret supporter of the theory, “beastliness with a human face.”
Breeder Mishka withdrew the dogs from estate Southern. He forbade the dogs to bite, and the geese were allowed to quack again, and then to hiss and cackle- anywhere and everywhere, even in the Swinecoms. For this, the geese fell in love with the boar Mishka. Without asking for permission, the remaining animals also began to quack, hiss and cackle everywhere. It was impossible for the dogs to stop them without biting.
Some of the geese, without permission, read much of what they recovered in a pile of wine labels, and began to assert that the boar Snowball, expelled by Napoleon, was a hero of the revolt, and not a traitor or agent of the bipeds at all. Other geese, admirers of the horse Boxer, who was tortured and died by order of Napoleon, demanded that a memorial to him be built at the central barn.
On the outer wall of the barn someone began to write commandments at night that had not been previously approved, such as “Long Live Boxer!” “Snowball, Hero of the Revolt!” “All power to the Geese!” “Horses are more equal than pigs!” and even, “All pigs are goats!”
In vain the dogs covered the unapproved commandments every day- but the next morning they appeared again. The dogs caught the author of the inscription, “All dogs are goats!” It was a fat goose named Kaleriia, but the boar Mishka did not allow the dogs to torment her. From that moment, the goose Kaleriia began teasing the dogs by going throughout the farm with placards reading, “I know who the goats are!” and “Breeder Mishka is a spotty pig!”
Having seen Kaleriia with the placard, the dogs surrounded her and barked fiercely, but did not bite. Kaleriia, in response, hissed, cackled and even watched for the opportunity to pinch any of the dogs who approached too closely. She began to arrange such performances at the central barn every Sunday. Sometimes half the farm gathered to watch the fights between the dogs and the goose Kaleriia. For many animals this became the main entertainment in their boring lives, replacing the forbidden alcohol.
The old boars and dogs understood that they made a mistake allowing Mishka to come to power, and they began to think about how they could expel him from the Swineburo. But one night Mishka himself restored the commandment, “All animals are equal,” to the wall of the barn (he wrote it just below the commandment “No animal shall drink alcohol,” but in the same large letters), and ordered all parts of the farm to carry out elections to the Animal Soviets. Essentially young pigs, geese, ducks and sheep were elected to the Soviets. Mishka appointed himself chairman of the main Animal Soviet, and the heads of almost all other Animal Soviets were also boars, but younger ones. As members of the Animal Soviet they received increased fodder rations, and no one compelled them to work, which the majority of them liked very much.
Everything would have been fine, if not for the general displeasure caused by Mishka’s strict propagation of the commandment “No animal shall drink alcohol.” The animals wasted all of their time in a quest to find out where the whisky and beer had vanished to, and practically ceased to work. Because of this, it became necessary to severely reduce fodder rations, which of course, strengthened discontent. Leading the discontented was a former member of the Swineburo, the boar Borka.
The boar Borka at first supported all the undertakings of Mishka, but by his own nature could not live up to the commandment “No animal shall drink alcohol.” Moreover, after drinking he could not lie peacefully on the straw like the others, but staggered about the farm, talking nonsense and quarrelling with the other boars. It was because of such behaviour that Breeder Mishka expelled him from the Swineburo. After that, Borka quickly learned to hiss, cackle and bleat and even somehow to walk on his hind legs. He befriended the geese and declared himself the father and defender of the sheep. The geese, and joining them, the ducks, were completely disappointed in Mishka and flocked behind Borka, who now walked about the farm without the protection of dogs. The sheep immediately elected Borka to all Animal Soviets. Many young pigs began to criticize breeder Mishka for walking on two legs badly and declared themselves supporters of the platform of the boar Borka.
To be different from the boars, and to be closer to the other animals, the Breeder Mishka ordered everyone to call him the Animal Breeder. The same was also done by the boar Borka. Since the former boar Borka was not punished for this, many other boars also declared themselves animal breeders.
In the days of Napoleon, small pigsties were built at different ends of the farm for the breeding of pigs, and residents in them were given, under supervision, neighbouring gardens, pastures, sheepfolds, and henhouses, together with sheep, goats, cows, hens and other animals. Relations between some of the boars were not always very good, but the Swineburo and the dogs did not allow them to start fights in public. Then two pig-animal breeders, having fought over a disputed kitchen garden, began to undermine each other daily on the walls of the pigsties. They set geese against each other, created for themselves parties of supporters among the sheep, and finally began to send to each other’s pastures and hen houses packs of dogs and tamed rats. The dogs and rats bit many hens and sheep to death.
Prompted by bipeds and geese turncoats from beyond the fence, three small pigsties constructed at the gate of the farm declared that, together with nearby gardens and henhouses, they were converting to humanity. Some local sheep tried to bleat against this, for those who crossed the threshold to humanity and became independent, the former boars declared dirty swine and followers of Napoleon.
Having succumbed to the hissing of geese-turncoats from under the fence, the Animal Soviet also began to talk about a conversion to humanity and openly ignore the Swineburo and Animal Breeder Mishka. The pigs of the farm disagreed with each other and split into two parties, the “Boars Upright” and the “Boars On Four Feet.” Animal-breeder Mishka did not know what to do with them, and with the goal of reconciliation he tried to stand on four legs while at the same time convincingly walk about the farm on two.
Some particularly clever geese thought up the theory “Enlightened Cattle Raising.” According to this theory, the successful transition to humanity must be led by whichever former boar was authoritative, of illustrious extraction, and well educated. This former boar should declare himself the enlightened cattle raiser, dismiss all Animal Soviets, take full authority in his own arms, strictly forbid elections and the movement of former animals on four feet. When everyone adapted to walking upright, it would be possible to again allow elections- such as people have. They called this “Authoritative Humanization.” Some geese felt that the enlightened cattle breeder (the ‘Authoritative Humaniser’) should be the former bear Mishka, others thought of the former boar Borka, and still others thought it should be one of the dogs.
Political agitation had permeated down through the ranks of the dogs. A movement of “Dog Restorers” rose up, which put forth the idea of restoring the historical right of succession for the purpose of cattle breeding. Instead of Mishka, they thought it should be someone descended from the pig Napoleon. From the Dog-Restorers movement, the “New Dog Restorers” party broke away and supported a return to power of the pig-breeding dynasty of Farmer Jones. The New Dog Restorers did not recognize the distant relatives of Farmer Jones because of the fence and asserted that the farm should be searched for his direct descendents, among the dogs and boars of ancient breeds.
A theory, formulated by the small, fat bulldog Dimson received widespread circulation among the New Dog Restorers. According to bulldog Dimson, sheep of the Astrakhan breed were to blame for the decrease in fodder rations on the farm. Under Farmer Jones their numbers were regulated naturally (their skin was turned into hats and sold to bipeds) but after Jones these sheep bred and, in the opinion of the bulldog Dimson, ate more than all the other animals.
All of this ideological disorder was unbearable for the older boars of the Swineburo. They created the Emergency Swine Committee, (ESC) the ranks of which included some of the wisest boars and a pair of the oldest dogs. The Emergency Swine Committee declared that the boar Mishka was suffering from a bad human illness, forbid everyone from hissing and cackling loudly, and hinted that they were preparing to forbid upright walking- the source of all disorder. The ESC threatened to disperse all Animal Soviets, especially those that were waiting for the chance to convert to humanity. Most frightened of all were the geese and ducks, but the young boars did not like the plans of their elders either.
The former boar Borka headed the struggle of the geese, ducks and young boars against the Extreme Swinish Committee. During the struggle, a carefully hidden fact was revealed- the old dogs had lost their teeth long ago and could bite no more. But it was in fact the young dogs, it turned out, who did not mind sitting around doing nothing in the Animal Soviets, receiving increased rations, and for the sake of it, even hissing, cackling, and walking in front of Borka on their hind paws. In the struggle against the Emergency Swine Committee, the tailless dog Reshka (having lost his tail again under Breshka, in the battles for estate Southern) distinguished himself from the rest, as well as the leader of the Main Animal Soviet, the spiteful and noisy black cat Khasan.
See Chapter 2(12)
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