Hey there, and welcome back to Animal Farm: The Novelization. Well, we're in the last canon part of the story, where we get that (in)famous ending. I don't have much more to say about this chapter, only that this will also contain the last song from the 1999 film.
Uploading Date: November 2, 2021
Enjoy!
Chapter 17: Return To Animal Farm
The next day promised to be sunny, nothing like the rain from the night before. Sam, Jessie, and Benjamin were well enough to continue their journey, and they left after saying goodbye to Snowball and the animals of Forest Farm. They had realized that they had gone northeast from Willington, Repton, and Animal Farm, ending up at a forest called Sherwood. According to the local animals and humans, as they would later learn, a legend was based on that forest and starred a famous outlaw.
But the three continued their journey back to Animal Farm. With Jessie and Benjamin growing older, however, they had to stop more frequently. Sam made sure to stop for them to rest and help them by finding food. Back at Animal Farm, Jessie had looked after him like he was her son, and Sam still felt guilty for using Boxer's death to guilt Benjamin. So he made sure to return the favor, even if Sam himself was hungry and no apologies were needed.
They didn't arrive at their destination until noon the day after they started their journey. The companions were coming in from the east, crossing meadows and woods until they came upon a familiar road. Jessie seemed to realize it too.
"Do you smell that?" she asked, sniffing the air. "The air...it smells so familiar."
Benjamin lifted his gray nose and sniffed too. "Yes, it does. Let's get closer."
So that was what they did. They trekked down the country road until they arrived at the entrance, looking up to the sign that led to Animal Farm. The sign above them had gotten worn down from age, some of the paint peeling and bits of wood chipped away by time and weather. Out in the distance, they saw the now-completed windmill...as well as a new windmill being slowly built.
"Brings back some memories, doesn't it?" murmured Jessie.
"Yes, it brings back memories," said Sam. "I have to admit, it's bringing back some good memories."
"Bad ones and worse ones too," remarked Benjamin. "We better go in and get it over with."
Sam led the way to where he and the others before him had escaped from. The fence looked worn down from age as if no one had bothered to maintain it. They slipped past it and made their way slowly towards the fields that would lead to the road. Amazingly, no pigs or dogs were outside at the moment to intercept them or even attack them.
Out in the field, the animals were working on planting the wheat. Clover was among them, looking much older than ever; the English Suffolk Punch had taken over plowing the fields after Boxer's death. Jessie barked to greet her, and the poor old horse seemed to flinch before realizing who it was.
"Sam! Jessie! Benjamin!" exclaimed Clover, a relieved whinny rumbling in her throat. "It's you! Oh, it's so good to see you!"
"Yes, we're back, thanks for asking," Benjamin croaked as they approached her. "It's been a long time, Clover."
Sam wagged his tail. "It's good to see you too. How is everyone?"
Clover hung her head, looking older than ever. Sam realized that she had not been a young mare when the rebellion had first started, but the years had not been kind to her. Her ribs were showing through her once-smooth coat.
"We're trying our best," said Clover. "I didn't want to say it out loud, but there are times where I'd rather have some food and rest. You see those two windmills?"
Sam and Jessie looked around behind them. They had indeed seen the windmills, the newer one looking halfway built.
"Well, we finally finished the first windmill, just a month after you four left," explained Clover. "But the first one only mills corn instead of creates electricity, even if it does bring in money. So Napoleon's having us build another one that will have electricity."
"So there's none of the stuff that was going to be in the windmill?" asked Sam. He did his best to remember all that Snowball had listed when he was set on building Animal Farm a windmill. "No threshing machines, no plows, none of that fancy stuff?"
"Or every stall having its own electric light, hot and cold water, or an electric heater?" added Jessie.
Clover shook her head. "No. None of that at all," she answered.
"Of course," Benjamin spoke up, rolling his eyes. "I kept telling you and Boxer, 'No good will come out of this' and 'We'll be just as bad under this reign as we were under Jones'. Then again, no one ever listened to me when I was at the farm...not a problem that I've ever had."
Clover gave Benjamin a gentle scolding look. "I don't believe that. I still believe that the future of all animals being free from humans will come," she told him. "It may not happen now, but it will happen. At least if we starve, it isn't because of humans. We work for ourselves if we work hard enough and live life frugally."
"Frugally?" repeated Sam. "What's that?"
"It means that animals will be happier just working and not worrying about leisure," said Clover. "And we are happier. No animal goes on two legs. Every animal calls each other 'comrade' instead of 'master'. All animals are equal."
Sam found himself conflicted. He wanted to tell Clover that there was no equality of animals on this farm, that the pigs had been corrupt and taken away their freedoms. He also wanted to tell her the possibility of Old Major's ideas for animals either being tainted or have never existed at all. How could she still believe in Napoleon and the pigs after all they had done?
But he couldn't find it in himself to say it aloud. Like Boxer, Clover had absorbed what she was told and passed it on to the other animals with simple arguments. She ultimately meant no malice or anger when staying loyal to the pigs.
"How are the others?" asked Jessie, whose voice took Sam out of his thoughts. They were now heading towards the familiar farm buildings: the barn, the farmhouse, the chicken coop, and the storage shed. "Moses, Elijah, the puppies, all the rest."
"We have new animals," said Clover. "There are three more horses and two more donkeys that help with the heavy lifting. Plenty more sheep and poultry too. But Moses is gone."
"I never liked that raven," remarked Benjamin. "But the pigs didn't kill him, did they?"
"Oh, I hope not. I guess he left sometime after Boxer died," answered Clover. "Same with Elijah. He had hated what this farm was becoming, so he went to live at a zoo instead; I guess a zoo is something like a circus but with more animals."
"And the puppies?" asked Jessie, with a hint of sadness in her voice.
Clover bent her large head and gently nudged Jessie. "They're still under Napoleon's command," she reported. "They seem pretty bitter after Pinscher's death, though."
Jessie bowed her head, and Sam reached up to give her a nuzzle. She had made peace that her puppies were lost to her forever, though as a grieving mother, it wasn't easy. Sam felt certain that Octavian and his siblings never let go of their anger towards him, and a part of him felt that they were justified in feeling that way; after all, their father had died chasing him when he fled Animal Farm.
"But enough about us," said Clover. "How have you four been after all these years? Is Muriel all right?"
"No. Muriel died a few days ago," answered Benjamin. "She was buried near a lake, just as she had wanted to be. I guess that's one way to spend the last days of old age." Clover nodded solemnly, for she had known the old goat as a friend, and Benjamin continued, "And you'd never believe who we came across on our way here."
Clover was about to ask who it was when a sheep's bleating sounded from out near the farm buildings. A cold dread crept into Sam's heart. Did one of the sheep notice the three extra animals? Would they alert Napoleon and the Animal Guard of the intruders? When Clover turned to the sound, her eyes suddenly widened with fright before she let out a loud whinny.
Sam was about to perk up when Clover pushed both dogs into the straw. "Get down!" she hissed. "Hurry!"
"Why?" Sam whispered.
"Just do it!" was all Clover could say. So Sam crouched low in the straw with Jessie at his side. Benjamin stood in the shadows of the barn, in a stall that had been unused for a long time.
The other animals had heard Clover's neighing and rushed over to see what was the problem. Frightened gasps and whispers came among the gathered animals when they spotted what had caused the outburst. If any animal had spotted Sam and his friends, they paid no attention. Then, as Sam peered out from behind Clover's legs and witnessed the sheep filing into the farmyard, he gasped when he saw why she had pushed him into the straw.
It was a pig walking by.
It was a pig walking by on its hind legs.
With anger, Sam recognized the pig as Squealer, fatter than ever. He looked like he wasn't used to walking due to his bulk, but he was able to walk steadily across the yard. Behind him came a file of pigs, also walking on their hind legs and wearing various clothing, as they were walking out of the farmhouse. Some were walking perfectly, while others wobbled and tried to keep their balance before keeping up with the others.
While the pigs paraded around the yard on their hind legs, along came some ducks, marching as if they were going off to war. One raised its voice in a song, and the others followed suit:
"Praise to him, the font of all our wisdom
Long to live, the ruler of our farm
Napoleon, mighty leader!
Mighty leader, watching over us!
Napoleon, mighty leader!
Mighty leader, watching over us!
"Shout! Shout! Shout out loud!
Snout! Snout! Pink and proud!
"Friend on high, who guides us with your smile
Teach us how to be as kind as you
Napoleon, mighty leader!
Mighty leader, watching over us!
Napoleon, mighty leader!
Mighty leader, watching over us!
"Shout! Shout! Shout out loud!
Snout! Snout! Pink and proud!
"Perfect pig, you bless us with your beauty
Hallowed hog, how wondrous is your glow
Napoleon, mighty leader!
Mighty leader, watching over us!
Napoleon, mighty leader!
Mighty leader, watching over us!
"Shout! Shout! Shout out loud!
Snout! Snout! Pink and proud!"
Once the third stanza had come and the pigs made a final lap around the yard, last of all came Napoleon himself. He was regally standing upright and wearing a black coat, ratcatcher breeches, and leather leggings. He carried a whip in his trotter and cast arrogant glances this way and that. The nine guard dogs were padding along with him, growling at any animal going too near the pigs, and the black rooster let out a loud "cock-a-doodle-doo" as he marched ahead of Napoleon.
Sam was flabbergasted at this entire scene. This whole world seemed to have turned upside down. Even if he wasn't a true follower of Animalism, this made absolutely no sense. Hadn't one of the rules of Animalism said something against walking on two legs and wearing clothes? Indeed, some of the animals - while afraid of the dogs and never questioning anything the pigs did - were already starting to protest, something they usually never dared to do. But that was when the sheep approached the line of pigs and began bleating:
"Four legs good, two legs better! Four legs good, two legs better! Four legs good, two legs better!"
Their bleating went on for five minutes with no stopping, drowning out the ducks' final chants. By the time the sheep finished bleating, the pigs had already gone back to the farmhouse, rendering any objections useless. Their work finished, the sheep scurried back to the field that they normally grazed in, and the ducks waddled away.
"That was horrifying," whispered Sam. "This is so wrong..."
"Did you know about this?" Jessie asked Clover. "You know...the pigs being on their hind legs?"
"N-No," whispered Clover, her voice hoarse with shock. "This is our first time seeing this. Didn't the Seven Commandments say that whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy?"
They crept around to the barn where the Seven Commandments of Animalism had been on the wall. There were pictures of Napoleon painted on every farm building, all with the same grimaces and scowls and sneers. All of these pictures had the Berkshire pig wearing the black coat they had seen him wear minutes ago.
As the animals approached the flagpole mounted next to the barn entrance, Sam felt a shiver of dread creep up his spine when he looked up. Not only was the green hoof-and-horn flag missing, but there was also a familiar raven on top, dead and stuffed. The animals would find out later that Napoleon had Moses put to death for trying to steal his whiskey.
When Clover tried reading the words on the wall, she shook her head and turned her attention to Benjamin. "I'm getting blind," she told the elderly donkey. "Even when I was young and could see better, I couldn't read what was written there. But it looks like that wall looks different. Are the Seven Commandments the same as they used to be, Benjamin?"
"No," replied Benjamin, his eyes on the barn wall. "They're not the same. There's only one commandment now. Shall I read it to you all?"
"Yes, read it," some of the animals said. "What does it say?"
So, breaking his unspoken rule of not reading out loud, Benjamin decided to read aloud for Clover, Sam, and the other animals to hear what the Seven Commandments read. Only this time, as Benjamin has said, almost all of the Commandments were gone except for one. It read:
ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS.
More equal than others. It was clear to most of the animals that the pigs of Animal Farm had revealed their true colors at last. They never cared about the other animals in the slightest.
"I guess we've read it wrong," said one of the younger horses.
"After all, Napoleon is always right," added a hen.
"No, you fools. You didn't read that wrong," Benjamin snapped, turning to face them all. "Listen here: Long ago, there were seven rules written on that barn. But over time, the pigs changed those rules to suit their needs, oppressing you while they pamper themselves; they don't have to follow the same rules that they impose onto you, and they kill you to have their way."
"This is why we came back to Animal Farm," added Jessie. "We're here to rally everyone together and defeat Napoleon once and for all, to free everyone."
Most of the animals shared glances with each other. Some looked interested in what this rebellion against Napoleon would mean. Others looked scared of the thought of rebelling at all, happy with being told what to do and not being bothered.
"How do you three plan on doing that?" asked a big black bull.
Sam shrugged. "We're not exactly sure," he admitted. "But until it's all figured out, we need to stay hidden."
"Hide near the woods," advised Clover. "They wouldn't go anywhere near there since you three left."
Thus, the three runaways - Sam, Jessie, and Benjamin - took Clover's advice and hid for the rest of the day. They kept away from where Napoleon's dogs would catch their scents if they were to linger. Fortunately, not many animals went near the woods, preferring the relative safety of the farm.
...
It was also on this day that several cars drove up to the farm. Nearby farmers had been invited to take a tour of inspection. They were shown all over the farm and expressed great admiration for everything they saw, especially the windmill. The animals remaining at Animal Farm were weeding the turnip field. They worked diligently, hardly raising their faces from the ground, and Sam wondered if they were more scared of the human visitors or the pigs.
That night, loud laughter and bursts of singing came from the farmhouse. At the sound of the mingled voices, the animals were stricken with curiosity.
"What's happening in there?" asked a young goat.
"Considering that these humans and pigs are meeting together for once...only one way to find out," said Sam.
So he, Jessie, Clover, and Benjamin led the other animals up to the farmhouse. Inside the house was lots of cheering and pig squealing, as well as the acidic scents of cigars and alcohol in the air. They reached a window that they were sure that the pigs wouldn't spot them. Benjamin lowered himself to let Sam climb onto his back, and they and Clover peered inside.
In the farmhouse dining room, they saw that there were both humans and pigs together at the long table: six farmers and six pigs. Napoleon himself was sitting at the seat of honor at one end of the table, looking as at ease in his chair as the other pigs. They were filling their mugs full of beer and ready for a round of poker.
"One moment," said Mr. Pilkington, standing up and holding up his mug of beer. "Before we drink and play our game, I want to give a word of applause to our friend Napoleon.
"It's good to know that I - and all others present - feel that this period of mistrust has come to an end. There was a time - not that I or any present company have any shared sentiments - when Animal Farm has been regarded not with hostility but with misgiving by their human neighbors. Accidents happened, and mistaken ideas continued. People felt that the idea of a farm being owned and operated by pigs is unnatural. They also believed that such a farm would incite a spirit of laziness and indiscipline. They were afraid that it would affect their animals or even their human employees.
"But I don't doubt it anymore. Today, we have visited Animal Farm, and what do we see? Why, not only the most modern methods but also the order and progress that should be an example to all farmers in the world. I believe I am right in saying that Animal Farm's animals have done more work and received less food than any animal in this county. Indeed, there's so much of that and more that we should introduce to our own farms."
Some of the men around him cheered, "Hear, hear!"
"Again," continued Pilkington, "I am happy that there are good feelings between Animal Farm and its neighbors, and it should be this way. Humans and pigs shouldn't be fighting over the most trivial of things. Our struggles and difficulties are the same, which should bring us to unity. Do we not share the same problem everywhere?"
Here, he was ready to spring some kind of joke, but he suddenly broke down chuckling hard. After some more choking, he managed to get out, "If you have your lower animals to contend with, we have our lower classes!"
This set up a roar of laughter around the table. Pilkington once again congratulated the pigs on the low rations, the long hours of work, and the use of force that they had shown to their fellow animals on the farm.
"And now," he said finally, "everyone rise to their feet and make sure your mugs are full. Gentlemen, I give you all a toast: To a chance to build back better. To the prosperity of Animal Farm!"
There was happy cheering and stamping of feet. Napoleon left his place at the table and came to clink his mug against Pilkington's before swigging his drink down. When the cheering had died down, Napoleon had remained on his feet, implying that he too had a few words to say.
"Loyal followers," the Berkshire boar began, "what Pilkington said is correct. On farms owned and operated by pigs, there is order, progress, and discipline. Our own lower animals do more work and eat less. So we encourage you to make your lower animals work even harder and eat even less! To a greater Manor Farm! To peace and plenty under pig rule! To the day when pigs own and operate farms EVERYWHERE!"
One of the human farmers cleared his throat.
"As well as man," Napoleon said as an afterthought.
That was when Pilkington came around and tapped Napoleon on his shoulder. "Excuse me, dear boy, but why Manor Farm? Isn't it Animal Farm?"
Here, Napoleon looked sly. "Ah, that's a good question, 'dear boy'," he said with a dark chuckle. "We have had to make changes to this wonderful farm of ours. Let me explain how before we begin our game.
"There had been rumors of animals wanting to overthrow humans and spread rebellion everywhere. But that's not true in the slightest. We only wish to live in peace and unity with the other farms, to build back better as you said. Animals used to keep calling each other 'comrade' and marching around a boar's skull for some odd reason. No animal uses the word 'comrade' anymore, and the skull is buried in the orchard. Our hoof-and-horn flag is just to be a green flag from now on. As for the name, Manor Farm is the more proper and original name, and that's what it will be until the day we all die. Animal Farm is no more."
The last sentence sent a shiver along Sam's spine. This farm was right back where they started...somewhat. With Napoleon in complete control, the animals were back to being treated badly, perhaps even worse than how Jones had treated them. Old Major's dream had come to a destructive end.
"Gentlemen," concluded Napoleon, "fill your mugs to the brim. Here is my toast: To the prosperity of the Manor Farm!"
There was the same hearty cheering as before, and the mugs were emptied to the dregs. But as the animals outside gazed at the scene, it seemed to them that something strange was happening. What was it that had altered in the faces of the pigs? Sam thought that he could see some of them having either three chins or four or five. But what was it with the melting and changing?
"Can you see what's happening?" asked Clover.
Sam rested his front paws on Clover's head to get a better look. "I'm trying to, but...what's going on?"
"The pigs and humans aren't that different from each other," said Benjamin. He himself had a terrorstruck face that would have looked comical if the situation wasn't serious. "I can't tell them apart either."
Soon, the pigs and humans had started playing a round of poker. Then suddenly, as the animals started walking away from the farmhouse, loud shouts echoed from said building. They ran back to the farmhouse, with Clover and Benjamin peering inside. Napoleon and his fellow pigs and the men were having a violent argument. They were shouting, banging on the table, denying furiously, and giving each other sharp suspicious glares. Both Napoleon and Pilkington had played an ace of spades together, which was the cause of the argument.
The animals looked from pig to man, man to pig, and back to pig and man. Already, it was impossible to tell which was which.
To be continued...
