Snowball's Chance Read Online Free PDF Page B

seen.
    “Wh-wh-where,” stuttered the frightened animals, “is the protector of the sheepfold, the duckling’s friend, the Godfather of geese?”
    “Friends,” said Snowball, “it is true that Napoleon was a great Leader.” Snowball turned to the pigs, “It is true that he was the paradigm of pigs.” Snowball turned to the dogs, “It is true that he was the terror of mankind.” And here, Snowball turned to all, “But it is also true that his foremost commitment was that nothing should get in the way of your living the goodest, fullest lives.”
    “Goodest, fullest lives,” repeated the sheep.
    “And yes,” said Snowball, “now is a time when our lives can be gooder, and fuller. Napoleon’s time, that’s the past—while now is a time for the future. And we must not hesitate—for Napoleon would not hesitate. No, Napoleon would not hesitate to sacrifice anything—to give you that gooderest, fullerest life. No, Napoleon would not even hesitate—to sacrifice himself!”
    “No, not even himself,” mewled Norma ecstatically, carried away by the moment.
    “Well,” concurred Snowball, casting Norma a sympathetic eye, “I too will sacrifice anything for you, as would Minimus or Pinkeye or Brutus—just because we love you. Anything—for your own good.”
    At this, there was a cheer. “For our own good, for our own good,” repeated the sheep.
    And just like that, Napoleon and his days were pretty well forgotten—and that, perhaps, was the objective. What’s more, in days to come, it would often altogether slip an animal’s mind that he or she was led by anyone.It would seem, ever increasingly, that what he or she did was by his or her own design.
    With the broad sweep of a white muslin sheet pulled away from the side of the barn, Snowball pointed dramatically to the new Commandment—
    All animals are born equal—what they become is their own affair
.
    Yes, yes, all nodded their heads with collective assurance—that seemed fair enough. What we become is our own affair, each of them thought, confident that on a level playing field they could be enormously successful. So … fair enough! The pigs nodded. The dogs nodded. And all of the animals nodded. Why, it was a miracle! Except for old Benjamin, who wasn’t nodding, it seemed that everyone, truly, was in complete accord!
    Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes—it was entirely obvious that Snowball really had learned a great deal out there in the village!
    To conclude the Meeting, it was additionally revealed that the old portrait of Napoleon had been replaced—this time with the image of some hard-working horse named Boxer, whom nobody but the pigs, and presumably, Benjamin remembered. It certainly was a moving depiction, however, and several noticed that Benjamin was not just teary-eyed, but positively sobbing at the sight of it. In the rendering, the brave horse pulled a cart of stone up an endless slope.…
    In an unscheduled issuance, Snowball had the dogs tear down a final white sheet, to reveal an ode to Animal Farm that he had written to replace the now obsolete,
Founding Father Napoleon
. The ode was called,
All Animals Eat Pie
.
    You may disagree on a bed or a sty
.
    You may be annoyed when your food’s full of flies
.
    But never ask, “why’s that manger better than mine?”
    ’Cause they worked really hard, and we all like pie
.
    The change was a surprise to all. (“Halloo!” cried the sheep.) And even Minimus, the author of the original poem,
Founding Father Napoleon
, seemed caught off guard. At first, the Prize Pig appeared to prickle, and pucker—but then he had on his face something sort of resembling approval (albeit a twisted and tense approval). After all, it was a premise hard to refute—everyone did like pie.
    At the next Sunday Meeting, Snowball presented Minimus’s “architecture for a better future.” He explained that out there in the village, one learned that there was nothing wrong with humans—and there was nothing