IV
BY THE late summer the news of what had happened on Animal Farm
had spread across half the county. Every day Snowball and Napoleon
sent out flights of pigeons whose instructions were to mingle with the
animals on neighbouring farms, tell them the story of the Rebellion,
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 Willingdon, 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. It was lucky that the owners
of the two farms which adjoined Animal Farm were on permanently
bad terms. One of them, which was named Foxwood, was a large,
neglected, old-fashioned farm, much overgrown by woodland, with all
its pastures worn out and its hedges in a disgraceful condition. Its
owner, Mr. Pilkington, was an easy-going gentleman farmer who spent
most of his time in fishing or hunting according to the season. The
other farm, which was called Pinchfield, was smaller and better kept.
Its owner was a Mr. Frederick, a tough, shrewd man, perpetually
involved in lawsuits and with a name for driving hard bargains. These
two disliked each other so much that it was difficult for them to come
to any agreement, even in defence of their own interests.
Nevertheless, they were both thoroughly frightened by the rebellion on
Animal Farm, and very anxious to prevent their own animals from
learning too much about it. At first they pretended to laugh to scorn the
idea of animals managing a farm for themselves. The whole thing
would be over in a fortnight, they said. They put it about that the
animals on the Manor Farm (they insisted on calling it the Manor Farm;
they would not tolerate the name “Animal Farm”) were perpetually

fighting among themselves and were also rapidly starving to death.
When time passed and the animals had evidently not starved to death,
Frederick and Pilkington changed their tune and began to talk of the
terrible wickedness that now flourished on Animal Farm. It was given
out that the animals there practised cannibalism, tortured one another
with red-hot horseshoes, and had their females in common. This was
what came of rebelling against the laws of Nature, Frederick and
Pilkington said.
However, these stories were never fully believed. Rumours of a
wonderful farm, where the human beings had been turned out and the
animals managed their own affairs, continued to circulate in vague and
distorted forms, and throughout that year a wave of rebelliousness ran
through the countryside. Bulls which had always been tractable
suddenly turned savage, sheep broke down hedges and devoured the
clover, cows kicked the pail over, hunters refused their fences and shot
their riders on to the other side. Above all, the tune and even the words
of Beasts of England were known everywhere. It had spread with
astonishing speed. The human beings could not contain their rage when
they heard this song, though they pretended to think it merely
ridiculous. They could not understand, they said, how even animals
could bring themselves to sing such contemptible rubbish. Any animal
caught singing it was given a flogging on the spot. And yet the song
was irrepressible. The blackbirds whistled it in the hedges, the pigeons
cooed it in the elms, it got into the din of the smithies and the tune of
the church bells. And when the human beings listened to it, they
secretly trembled, hearing in it a prophecy of their future doom.
Early in October, when the corn was cut and stacked and some of it was
already threshed, a flight of pigeons came whirling through the air and
alighted in the yard of Animal Farm in the wildest excitement. Jones
and all his men, with half a dozen others from Foxwood and Pinchfield,
had entered the five-barred gate and were coming up the cart-track that
led to the farm. They were all carrying sticks, except Jones, who was
marching ahead with a gun in his hands. Obviously they were going to
attempt the recapture of the farm.
This had long been expected, and all preparations had been made.
Snowball, who had studied an old book of Julius Caesar’s campaigns
which he had found in the farmhouse, was in charge of the defensive
operations. He gave his orders quickly, and in a couple of minutes
every animal was at his post.

As the human beings approached the farm buildings, Snowball
launched his first attack. All the pigeons, to the number of thirty-five,
flew to and fro over the men’s heads and muted upon them from
mid-air; and while the men were dealing with this, the geese, who had
been hiding behind the hedge, rushed out and pecked viciously at the
calves of their legs. However, this was only a light skirmishing
manoeuvre, intended to create a little disorder, and the men easily drove
the geese off with their sticks. Snowball now launched his second line
of attack. Muriel, Benjamin, and all the sheep, with Snowball at the
head of them, rushed forward and prodded and butted the men from
every side, while Benjamin turned around and lashed at them with his
small hoofs. But once again the men, with their sticks and their
hobnailed boots, were too strong for them; and suddenly, at a squeal
from Snowball, which was the signal for retreat, all the animals turned
and fled through the gateway into the yard.
The men gave a shout of triumph. They saw, as they imagined, their
enemies in flight, and they rushed after them in disorder. This was just
what Snowball had intended. As soon as they were well inside the yard,
the three horses, the three cows, and the rest of the pigs, who had been
lying in ambush in the cowshed, suddenly emerged in their rear, cutting
them off. Snowball now gave the signal for the charge. He himself
dashed straight for Jones. Jones saw him coming, raised his gun and
fired. The pellets scored bloody streaks along Snowball’s back, and a
sheep dropped dead. Without halting for an instant, Snowball flung his
fifteen stone against Jones’s legs. Jones was hurled into a pile of dung
and his gun flew out of his hands. But the most terrifying spectacle of
all was Boxer, rearing up on his hind legs and striking out with his
great iron-shod hoofs like a stallion. His very first blow took a
stable-lad from Foxwood on the skull and stretched him lifeless in the
mud. At the sight, several men dropped their sticks and tried to run.
Panic overtook them, and the next moment all the animals together
were chasing them round and round the yard. They were gored, kicked,
bitten, trampled on. There was not an animal on the farm that did not
take vengeance on them after his own fashion. Even the cat suddenly
leapt off a roof onto a cowman’s shoulders and sank her claws in his
neck, at which he yelled horribly. At a moment when the opening was
clear, the men were glad enough to rush out of the yard and make a bolt
for the main road. And so within five minutes of their invasion they
were in ignominious retreat by the same way as they had come, with a
flock of geese hissing after them and pecking at their calves all the way.

All the men were gone except one. Back in the yard Boxer was pawing
with his hoof at the stable-lad who lay face down in the mud, trying to
turn him over. The boy did not stir.
“He is dead,” said Boxer sorrowfully. “I had no intention of doing that.
I forgot that I was wearing iron shoes. Who will believe that I did not
do this on purpose?”
“No sentimentality, comrade!” cried Snowball from whose wounds the
blood was still 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 full of tears.
“Where is Mollie?” exclaimed somebody.
Mollie 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 stall 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.
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 killed was given a solemn funeral, a hawthorn
bush being planted on her grave. At the graveside Snowball made a
little speech, emphasising the need for all 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
Snowball and Boxer. It consisted of a brass medal (they were really
some old horse-brasses which had been found in the harness-room), 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 called. 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 artillery, 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 Rebellion.

Chapter 4 of “Animal Farm” by George Orwell delves deeper into the dynamics of the farm after the animals successfully repel the humans in the Battle of the Cowshed.

After the Battle of the Cowshed, the animals on Animal Farm are full of excitement and pride for their victory. They hold a celebration, raising the flag and singing “Beasts of England” to honor their fallen comrade, the sheep.

Snowball, one of the leaders of the farm, takes charge of organizing efforts to improve the farm. He plans to build a windmill to generate electricity, which he believes will improve their lives by making work easier and more efficient.

Napoleon, another leader and rival to Snowball, is less enthusiastic about the windmill idea. He focuses on training a group of young pigs to act as his personal security force, called the “Secret Police,” which intimidates and controls the other animals.

As time passes, Snowball and Napoleon clash more frequently over the direction of the farm. Snowball is innovative and wants to educate the animals, while Napoleon is more interested in consolidating his power and privileges.

Snowball presents elaborate plans for the windmill, explaining how it will provide electricity for heating and lighting in the barns, as well as powering machinery for producing goods. The animals are excited by the idea and agree to support it.

However, Napoleon suddenly turns on Snowball during a heated debate about the windmill. With the help of his trained dogs, he violently expels Snowball from the farm, accusing him of being a traitor and working with humans.

With Snowball gone, Napoleon takes full control of the farm and declares himself leader. He begins to implement changes that benefit himself and the other pigs, including reducing rations for the other animals and living a life of luxury in the farmhouse.

The windmill project continues, but under Napoleon’s leadership, the animals are forced to work harder and receive fewer rewards. They begin to question whether the windmill is truly worth the effort and sacrifice.

Meanwhile, Squealer, a persuasive pig, spreads propaganda to justify Napoleon’s actions and maintain control over the other animals. He manipulates the truth and distorts reality to make Napoleon seem like a benevolent leader.

Despite the hardships, the animals remain loyal to Animal Farm and continue to work diligently on the windmill. However, their trust in Napoleon begins to waver as they suffer under his oppressive rule.

As the chapter concludes, the animals face increasing challenges and uncertainties about the future of Animal Farm under Napoleon’s dictatorship. The windmill project becomes a symbol of both hope and despair, representing the animals’ aspirations for a better life and their struggles against tyranny.

Overall, Chapter 4 of “Animal Farm” portrays the ongoing power struggle between Snowball and Napoleon, the manipulation of the other animals by the pigs, and the erosion of the farm’s founding principles of equality and solidarity. It sets the stage for further conflicts and betrayals as the story progresses.