![]() Whymper heard nothing of this affair, and the eggs were duly delivered, a grocer's van driving up to the farm once a week to take them away. Their bodies were buried in the orchard, and it was given out that they had died of coccidiosis. For five days the hens held out, then they capitulated and went back to their nesting boxes. The dogs saw to it that these orders were carried out. He ordered the hens' rations to be stopped, and decreed that any animal giving so much as a grain of corn to a hen should be punished by death. Their method was to fly up to the rafters and there lay their eggs, which smashed to pieces on the floor. Led by three young Black Minorca pullets, the hens made a determined effort to thwart apoleon's wishes. For the first time since the expulsion of Jones, there was something resembling a rebellion. They were just getting their clutches ready for the spring sitting, and they protested that to take the eggs away now was murder. They had been warned earlier that this sacrifice might be necessary, but had not believed that it would really happen. When the hens heard this, they raised a terrible outcry. The price of these would pay for enough grain and meal to keep the farm going till summer came on and conditions were easier. Napoleon had accepted, through Whymper, a contract for four hundred eggs a week. One Sunday morning Squealer announced that the hens, who had just come in to lay again, must surrender their eggs. Frequently he did not even appear on Sunday mornings, but issued his orders through one of the other pigs, usually Squealer. When he did emerge, it was in a ceremonial manner, with an escort of six dogs who closely surrounded him and growled if anyone came too near. ![]() ![]() In these days Napoleon rarely appeared in public, but spent all his time in the farmhouse, which was guarded at each door by fierce-looking dogs. Nevertheless, towards the end of January it became obvious that it would be necessary to procure some more grain from somewhere. He was deceived, and continued to report to the outside world that there was no food shortage on Animal Farm. On some suitable pretext Whymper was led through the store-shed and allowed to catch a glimpse of the bins. In addition, Napoleon ordered the almost empty bins in the store-shed to be filled nearly to the brim with sand, which was then covered up with what remained of the grain and meal. Hitherto the animals had had little or no contact with Whymper on his weekly visits: now, however, a few selected animals, mostly sheep, were instructed to remark casually in his hearing that rations had been increased. Napoleon was well aware of the bad results that might follow if the real facts of the food situation were known, and he decided to make use of Mr. Once again it was being put about that all the animals were dying of famine and disease, and that they were continually fighting among themselves and had resorted to cannibalism and infanticide. Emboldened by the collapse of the windmill, the human beings were inventing fresh lies about Animal Farm. It was vitally necessary to conceal this fact from the outside world. Starvation seemed to stare them in the face. For days at a time the animals had nothing to eat but chaff and mangels. The potatoes had become soft and discoloured, and only a few were edible. Then it was discovered that the greater part of the potato crop had been frosted in the clamps, which had not been covered thickly enough. The corn ration was drastically reduced, and it was announced that an extra potato ration would be issued to make up for it. Squealer made excellent speeches on the joy of ervice and the dignity of labour, but the other animals found more inspiration in Boxer's strength and his never-failing cry of "I will work harder!" In January food fell short. They were always cold, and usually hungry as well. Some progress was made in the dry frosty weather that followed, but it was cruel work, and the animals could not feel so hopeful about it as they had felt before. For a long time the quarry was full of snowdrifts and nothing could be done. ![]() Still, it had been decided to build the walls three feet thick this time instead of eighteen inches as before, which meant collecting much larger quantities of stone. The animals knew that this was not the case. Out of spite, the human beings pretended not to believe that it was Snowball who had destroyer the windmill: they said that it had fallen down because the walls were too thin. The animals carried on as best they could with the rebuilding of the windmill, well knowing that the outside world was watching them and that the envious human beings would rejoice and triumph if the mill were not finished on time. The stormy weather was followed by sleet and snow, and then by a hard frost which did not break till well into February. ![]()
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