Chapter 4

The news of what happened in Animal Farm (formerly known as Manor Farm) had spread like wildfire. Everyone consoled Mr. Jones but none did help.

Everyone thought of how they could benefit themselves from Mr. Jonesโ€™ failure to protect his farm. The owners of the adjoining farm namely Mr. Pilkington and Mr. Frederick both got worried about the fate of their farms.

They first refuted the reports of animals taking over the Manor Farm and later started to weave fake reports of torture and cannibalism being committed in the Animal Farm to prevent their animals from rebelling.ย 

But that did not work, reports went viral among animals of a wonderful farm with no trace of humans. All the animals in the adjoining farm started to rebel. Humans started to retaliate and animals found guilty of rebelling were beaten down on the spot.

All the animals from cows, bulls, horses to blackbirds and pigeons sang โ€œBeasts of Englandโ€, whenever and wherever they could. This was to the farm owner, a portent of doom and destruction.

Later, the humans launched an attack on Animal Farm, men from adjoining farms (Foxwoodย andย Pinchfield) also joined the attack and the battle started. Snowball was the leader of the animals.

At first, Snowball played a maneuver only to distract the humans and succeeded in it. The animals executed a well-planned act of battle and chased the men away from the farm. A sheep died.

Boxer (the horse) killed a man. He was so sad, as he did not intend to kill anyone. But Snowball at once told him, โ€œNo sentimentality, comrade!โ€. The hatred in Snowballโ€™s heart for humans was so deep that he said, โ€œโ€ฆthe only good human being is a dead one.โ€ย 

Mollie was now missing and was later found to be hiding. The battle was now over and all the animals were excited. Medals (Animal Hero, First Class) were awarded to Snowball and Boxer, as well as conferred posthumously on the dead sheep (Animal Hero, Second Class).

The battle was named the Battle of the Cowshed. Mr. Jonesโ€™ gun (found in the mud after the battle) was installed in the foot of flagstaff only to be fired twice a year. Once on October the twelfth (the anniversary of the Battle of the Cowshed) and once on Midsummer Day (the anniversary of Rebellion).