Animal Farm | Page 4

propose this question to the meeting: Are rats
comrades?"
The vote was taken at once, and it was agreed by an overwhelming majority that rats were comrades. There
were only four dissentients, the three dogs and the cat, who was afterwards discovered to have voted on both
sides. Major continued:
"I have little more to say. I merely repeat, remember always your duty of enmity towards Man and all his
ways. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
And remember also that in fighting against Man, we must not come to resemble him. Even when you have
conquered him, do not adopt his vices. No animal must ever live in a house, or sleep in a bed, or wear clothes,
or drink alcohol, or smoke tobacco, or touch money, or engage in trade. All the habits of Man are evil. And,
above all, no animal must ever tyrannise over his own kind. Weak or strong, clever or simple, we are all
brothers. No animal must ever kill any other animal. All animals are equal.
"And now, comrades, I will tell you about my dream of last night. I cannot describe that dream to you. It was
a dream of the earth as it will be when Man has vanished. But it reminded me of something that I had long
forgotten. Many years ago, when I was a little pig, my mother and the other sows used to sing an old song of
which they knew only the tune and the first three words. I had known that tune in my infancy, but it had long
since passed out of my mind. Last night, however, it came back to me in my dream. And what is more, the
words of the song also came back-words, I am certain, which were sung by the animals of long ago and have Animal Farm
Animal Farm 3

been lost to memory for generations. I will sing you that song now, comrades. I am old and my voice is
hoarse, but when I have taught you the tune, you can sing it better for yourselves. It is called Beasts of
England."
Old Major cleared his throat and began to sing. As he had said, his voice was hoarse, but he sang well
enough, and it was a stirring tune, something between Clementine and La Cucaracha. The words ran:
Beasts of England, beasts of Ireland,
Beasts of every land and clime,
Hearken to my joyful tidings
Of the golden future time.
Soon or late the day is coming,
Tyrant Man shall be o'erthrown,
And the fruitful fields of England
Shall be trod by beasts alone.
Rings shall vanish from our noses,
And the harness from our back,
Bit and spur shall rust forever,
Cruel whips no more shall crack.
Riches more than mind can picture,
Wheat and barley, oats and hay,
Clover, beans, and mangel-wurzels
Shall be ours upon that day.
Bright will shine the fields of England,
Purer shall its waters be,
Sweeter yet shall blow its breezes
On the day that sets us free.
For that day we all must labour,
Though we die before it break; Animal Farm
Animal Farm 4

Cows and horses, geese and turkeys,
All must toil for freedom's sake.
Beasts of England, beasts of Ireland,
Beasts of every land and clime,
Hearken well and spread my tidings
Of the golden future time.
The singing of this song threw the animals into the wildest excitement. Almost before Major had reached the
end, they had begun singing it for themselves. Even the stupidest of them had already picked up the tune and
a few of the words, and as for the clever ones, such as the pigs and dogs, they had the entire song by heart
within a few minutes. And then, after a few preliminary tries, the whole farm burst out into Beasts of
England in tremendous unison. The cows lowed it, the dogs whined it, the sheep bleated it, the horses
whinnied it, the ducks quacked it. They were so