Word went around the farm that Napoleon had an important message for all. He decided to hold a rally in the barn at night when the master was asleep. All the animals came, one by one and in groups. They sat or stood around a large crate Napoleon had already placed himself on. Major did not wish to make Napoleon jealous by stealing the show. So, having filled Napoleon’s mind with poison, he decided to remain in the shadows.
Napoleon started by saying, “Let us face it. Our lives are miserable and short. The masters feed us just enough to make us work. There is no rest for us. None of us are happy. Remove Man from the scene, and we can make the farm great again.
“No more any dealings with humans, no more use of money. From now on, it’ll be only hard work and loyalty to the task of making this farm great again. Is that agreed?” he asked.
“Yes, yes, yes,” cried the happy animals.
“God bless our farm,” cried Napoleon. “Can we go to the lake sometime?” asked the horse Mollie, twirling the red ribbons on her tail.
“It is not a lake,” thundered Napoleon. “It is a swamp, and I am going to drain the swamp”.
Mollie was very disappointed.
The animals could not agree on many things. But one thing they knew – they did not want a new master to take over the farm.
So, one day when some humans came with a new Master to take charge of what was once the White Farm, Napoleon, Boxer and Snowball decided they would do battle. It did not matter that the new Master was to be a woman, the first woman ever to try and take charge of the farm. “Let them come,” said Napoleon, “we will fight them with fire and fury.”
Snowball was a man of smart ideas. Asking all the animals to shout in a chorus “FOUR LEGS GOOD, TWO LEGS BAD”, over and over again, he led them to fight the humans. The pigeons flew overhead and pooped all over the humans, the geese came from behind the bushes and pecked at the humans’ legs, and the sheep charged and butted the humans from every side.
This time, the humans beat them back. But while they were celebrating their victory, three horses, three cows, and the rest of the pigs ambushed them from behind, shouting “FOUR LEGS GOOD, TWO LEGS BAD”. Boxer, who led this clever charge, now started shouting “LOCK HER UP, LOCK HER UP” as the animals chased away the would-be Master and her followers.
Boxer was magnificent, rearing up on his hind legs and striking out with his hoofs like a stallion. Even one of the cats came from nowhere and sank her claws into one man’s neck.
With Snowball gone, Napoleon could only think of building the windmill. One Sunday, when the animals gathered to receive their orders, he told them Animal Farm will now do business with neighboring farms. “We’ll sell hay and wheat to raise money to buy material to build the windmill. Yes, even eggs,” said Napoleon, “and that will be the hens’ sacrifice for the windmill.”
The animals were confused, because they had once agreed to never deal with men, or money. Afterwards, Squealer I went around the farm to talk to the animals. She told them that it was never agreed there would be no trade with humans. “You must have imagined this in a dream,” she said, “or it might be lies and fake news that Snowball had passed around.”
Other changes were coming. The animals started seeing a human being, Mr. Whymper, dropping by to pick up hay and eggs to sell to other farms. On another Sunday, Napoleon suddenly declared there would be no more Sunday meetings. From now on, he and a few pigs would decide in secret what was to be done on the farm.
Four young porkers in the front row protested with shrill squeals. They sprang to their feet and began speaking at once. But suddenly the dogs sitting round Napoleon let out deep, menacing growls, and the pigs fell silent and sat down again. Then the sheep broke out into a tremendous bleating of “Four legs good, two legs bad!” which went on for nearly a quarter of an hour and put an end to any chance of discussion. The hecklers drowned out every sound.
All through the summer, the animals, supervised by the pigs, worked very hard to build the windmill. Boxer worked hardest of all. Other farm work suffered, and food was in short supply. As the days went by, the animals started to feel weak and hungry.
The party went on all night long. Early next morning, when some of the animals outside gazed at the scene, they realized something strange was happening. The faces of the pigs seemed to be changing. Squealer I and Squealer II had already transformed into passable waitresses and were busy passing drinks and food to the guests. Napoleon, who bragged about being a teetotaller, had been the first male pig to get a human face. The others were slowly coming along.
At the same time, those around the table seemed to be quarrelling among themselves.
The animals outside looked through the window again. A violent fight was going on inside, possibly over some card games they were playing. It seemed Mr. Whymper and Napoleon had both played an ace of spades simultaneously. Somebody was cheating.
As they looked in, the animals realized that the transformation of those inside was now complete. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
The shocked animals stood silently. They could not imagine pigs dressed like men and women, and fighting like cats and dogs.
Just then, one of the Wonder Women standing on the knoll said, “Once inside the Sausage Factory all these characters will be forgotten. That’ll be a shame. We want to remember them for their cheating, lying ways.”
“I have an idea,” replied a Wonder Woman from the sky. “Let us flash-freeze them where they are, and they can all become monuments that people can remember a thousand years from now. All but three deserve to be statues. We’ll make sure Napoleon is mounted on the horse he crippled, ‘Alibi’, one leg shortened. He’ll then really look like the Emperor.”
“What a great idea,” cried the rest of the animals with shouts of happiness. “We are not pigs, we are not dogs, we are not sheep or horses. We are animals all. Men and women are not our enemies. Napoleon and his cruel pals taught us to fear one another, silenced our voices, made us feel we were nothing. Napoleon and his meanminded followers drained us of goodness and filled our hearts with hatred.”
And so it happened that Napoleon and many of his foolish followers suddenly turned into statues on the field where they stood. The two others, besides Mollie, not to be turned into stone were Squealer and her predecessor – Squealer II and Squealer I. “They,” said one Wonder Woman, “are a disgrace to pigs everywhere. Rotten and shameless, they polished Napoleon’s lies and sold them as words from God, or jokes from a joker. To the Sausage Factory with them. We hope they have enough empty barrels to fill with their blubber and bones.” And then she added, quickly, “Not you, Mollie, you pretentious nag, you go to the Glue Factory.”
Over time, Napoleon and his horse named ‘Alibi’ together became a favorite statue of pigeons who eventually covered them over with bird shit. Animal Farm became a park for future generations. On the pedestal where Napoleon and Alibi stood someone painted a graffiti, “Napoleon, Most Loathsome Pig of all.”
A fleeting menace had been turned into stone. But another menace – gun-toting pigs of the National Rifle Association - smelling blood, kept circling around the land like hungry sharks. They hoped they would eventually prevail.
The park was full of litter. But an unseen microphone piped in the same song day in and day out, a song made famous by many singers over the years. It went like this –
Theparty’sover,it’stimetocallitaday
They’veburstyourprettyballoon
Andtakenthemoonaway
It’stimetowindupthemasquerade
Justmakeyourmindup
Thepipermustbepaid………
It’sallover,myfriend.
The Party’s over, but the pain lingers.
Napoleon’s Animal Farm cultivated the worst, most dangerous seeds. Seeds unfit for the land, but seeds that grow like cancer in human hearts – lies, hatred, jealousy, and filth. And what a harvest Napoleon and his cronies brought home. Sad. Four who escaped becoming statues in the park decided to branch into the arts. They got together and formed a quartet; named it “The Mar a Lago Barbershop Quartet.”
They sang mostly trash, and found audiences in barns and farmyards. They raked in a ton of money and ended up paying no taxes because they quickly made it to the group of the richest 1% in the land.
Not everybody’s always so lucky. Not only pigs, but other well-meaning animals as well, gave Napoleon their fervent loyalty and allegiance. He could have done a lot of good, but he wasted everything, squandered power, trust, and expectations. Many of Napoleon’s followers, many of them deeply religious, were greatly disappointed. They all seemed to have forgotten something, something they SHOULD have remembered -
In his memorable ‘Sermon on the Mount’ Jesus Christ had said, ““Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.” (Matthew 7.6)
If only Jesus could take to Twitter.