When night fell, Mr. Jones, the drunk farmer of Mano Manor, locked the door of the henhouse, but forgot to close the small hole in the door. With the flickering glow of the lantern, he staggered across the yard, threw his boots at the back door, drank the last beer poured out of the kitchen bucket, and then climbed into bed, while Mrs. Jones next to him was already snoring.

As soon as the lights in Mr. Jones' bedroom went out, the whole farm began to stir up. During the daytime, it has been rumored that the elderly major, a China white pig who won the prize in the competition, wanted to tell other animals about a strange dream he had the night before. Everyone agrees that Mr. Jones will meet in the big barn as soon as he goes to bed. This elderly major (as everyone called him, in fact, his name was Wellington Menan when he was on display) had a high prestige on the farm, so everyone was very willing to sacrifice an hour's sleep time to listen to his strange dreams.

At one end of the big barn, the major has been sitting on his straw bed. Under the bed is a raised platform with a lantern hanging on the beam. He is twelve years old. He has gained a little weight recently, but he is still very tolerant and looks smart and kind, even though his fangs have never been trimmed. Soon, other animals came in one after another and sat down in the way they liked. Three dogs, Brubel, Jessie and Pingqi, walk in front, followed by a group of pigs. As soon as they came in, they immediately sat down on the straw in front of the podium.

The hen sat on the windowsill, and the pigeon flapped its wings and flew to the rafters. Sheep and cows lay behind pigs and began to ruminate. Two carriages, Bok and Croft, came in together. Every step they take is slow and careful, lest their hairy hooves step on small animals hidden in hay. Chloe is a strong and kind middle-aged mare. After giving birth to four foals, her figure was inevitably deformed. Bocks, on the other hand, is like a monster, with eighteen hands (note: the hand is the British unit for measuring the height of horses, and one hand is equal to four inches, about ten centimeters). Two ordinary horses are not as strong as him. A white stripe under his nose makes him look a little silly. In fact, he is not very clever, but his firm personality and super working ability have won him unanimous respect. Behind these two horses are muriel, a white goat, and Benjamin, a donkey. Benjamin is the oldest animal on the farm, and also the animal with the worst temper. He seldom talks and occasionally makes sarcastic remarks-for example, he will say that God gave him a tail to drive away flies, but he would rather have no tail than flies. Of all the animals on the farm, only he has never laughed. If you ask him why, he will say that he thinks there is nothing to laugh at. Nevertheless, he still likes Bok very much, although he has never publicly admitted it. They often spend Sundays together in the small paddock outside the orchard, eating grass side by side and not saying a word.

Two Ma Gang ducks lay down, and a litter of ducklings who couldn't find their mother filed into the barn. They quack feebly and wander around, trying to find a place that won't be trampled by other animals. Clover wrapped them in her strong front legs, and the ducklings immediately lay down comfortably and fell asleep soon. At the last minute, Molly, the silly and beautiful white mare that Mr. Jones caught in a trap, gracefully walked in with small steps, chewing a piece of candy in her mouth. She found a seat near the front row and began to fiddle with her long white mane, hoping that someone would notice the red ribbon tied to it. The cat finally came in. As usual, as soon as she came in, she looked around for the warmest corner. Finally, she decided to squeeze in between bocks and Chloe, and then began to whisper with satisfaction. She didn't listen to a word until the colonel's speech was over.

All the animals on the farm were present, except Moses, the domesticated crow, who was sleeping on a perch outside the back door. When the major saw that all the animals had settled down and waited attentively, he cleared his throat and began to speak:

"Comrades, I believe you have heard that I had a strange dream last night. But I'll talk about dreams later. Now I want to say something else first. Comrades, I know I don't have much time with you, so before I die, I feel obligated to teach you the philosophy I have learned. I have lived long enough, which gives me enough time to lie alone in my pigsty and think. I think I have understood the nature of animal life on earth, including all other animals. That's what I want to tell you.

"So, comrades, what is the essence of our life? Let's face it: our life is painful, difficult and short. Since we came into this world, we have only got enough food every day to keep us from starving to death. As long as we have breath, we must be forced to work until the last moment. Once the last trace of our value is squeezed dry, it is followed by a ruthless butcher knife. In Britain, no animal can understand the meaning of happiness and leisure after one year old. No animal is free in Britain. Animal life is pain and slavery: this is the most obvious fact.

"But is this part of the laws of nature? Is it because the land we live in is too barren to make those industrious animals live better? No, comrades, absolutely not. England has fertile soil and a suitable climate, which can provide enough food for enough animals, even though their numbers far exceed ours now. Our farm is enough for twelve horses, twenty cows and hundreds of sheep to live together in comfort and dignity, which is completely beyond our imagination. So, why have we been suffering so much? That's because almost all the fruits of our labor have been stolen by human beings. Comrades, this is the answer to all our questions. In the final analysis, there is only one word-people. Man is our only enemy. Drive away humans, and the root causes of hunger and fatigue will be eliminated.

"Humans are the only creatures that can only consume but cannot produce. He can't produce milk, lay eggs, plow fields or catch rabbits. But he is the master of all animals. He arranged animals to work, but only gave them the least food, only ensured that they would not starve to death, and the rest belonged to himself. Our hard work cultivates the land, and our excrement makes it fertile, but none of us will own even a small piece of land. The cow standing in front of me, did you produce thousands of gallons of milk last year? So where is the milk that should have been fed to the calf? Every drop was drunk by our enemies. And you hens, how many eggs did you lay last year, and how many were used to hatch chickens? The rest were sold by Mr. Jones and his men in the market for money. You too, Chloe. Where are your four ponies? You can rely on them to enjoy your old age. Every horse is sold as soon as it is one year old, and you will never see them again. You gave birth to four ponies and worked hard in the fields all your life. What did you get except a little daily food and a small stable?

"However, even if we live such a miserable life, we still can't get a happy ending. Of course, I won't complain myself, because I am very lucky. I am twelve years old and have more than four hundred children. This is the life of a pig. But no animal can escape the last knife. You little pigs sitting in front of me, within a year, each of you will give the last howl of your life on the knife rest. All animals will experience such terrible things-cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, all of them. Even horses and dogs are not immune. You, Bok, when your last strength is exhausted, Jones will send you to the slaughterhouse, where they will cut your throat and cook you for the hounds. As for dogs, when they get old and lose all their teeth, Jones will tie a stone around their necks and throw it into a nearby pool to drown.

"Comrades, don't you still understand? All the misfortunes in our lives stem from human tyranny. Once you get rid of human beings, you can have the fruits of your own labor. We will become rich and free overnight. So what should we do now? Of course, in order to try to overthrow the rule of mankind, day and night, wholeheartedly. This is what I want to tell you, comrades, uprising! I don't know when the uprising will happen, maybe next week, maybe a hundred years later, but I am very sure that justice will come sooner or later, just as I am sure that I will step on straw. Comrades, in your short life, watch carefully. The most important thing is to pass on my belief to future generations, so that our future generations can always fight for it until the final victory.

"Remember, comrades, your determination cannot be shaken. Don't let the debate lead you astray. Don't believe those human stories, saying that humans and animals have common interests, mutual help and common prosperity. All this is a lie. Man will only consider his own interests. We animals must unite as one, help each other in the same boat and work hard. All people are enemies and all animals are comrades. "

Then there was a loud noise from below. While the major was talking, four big mice slipped out of the hole and sat there listening attentively, but they were accidentally found by the dog, so they hurried back to the hole and almost got bitten. The major raised his hoof to signal silence.

"Comrades," he said, "we must solve a problem now. Wild animals, such as mice and rabbits, are they our friends or enemies? Let's take a vote. I invite the conference to discuss: Is the mouse our comrade? "

The voting began immediately, and the result was an overwhelming majority in favor of treating mice as comrades. There are only four votes against it: three dogs and a cat. Finally, it was found that they all voted for and against it. The major continued his speech:

"I want to say a little more. I repeat, always remember that your responsibility is to fight against human beings and their way of life. Both legs are enemies. Those with four legs or wings are all friends. Remember, in our struggle with human beings, we must never be assimilated by them. Even if you conquer human beings one day, don't catch their bad habits. Animals can't live in human houses, sleep in beds, wear clothes, drink, smoke, deal with money or barter. All human habits are bad. Most importantly, no animal should be above its own kind. Whether you are small or strong, smart or simple, we are all brothers and sisters. No animal can kill other animals. All animals are equal.

"Well, comrades, now I can talk to you about my dream last night. I can't describe it to you, because this is about the world after the destruction of mankind. But it awakened a long-forgotten memory in my heart. Many years ago, when I was a pig, my mother and other adult sows often sang an old song. They only remember the tune and the first three words. I used to hum this song when I was very young, and then I forgot all about it. However, I suddenly remembered it in my dream last night. Without this, I even remembered the lyrics. Yes, I remember those lyrics, which were sung by ancient animals, but were forgotten for many generations. Comrades, I will sing it to you now. I am old and my voice is hoarse, but I will teach you music and you will sing better. The name of this song is' Animals of England'. "

The old major cleared his throat and began to sing. His voice is really hoarse, but he sings quite well. The tune of this song is passionate, a bit like Clementine (note: it should be an American folk song in the 1980s) and a bit like La Cucala Cha (note: a classic folk song during the Mexican revolution). The lyrics are as follows:

All the animals in Britain,

All the animals in Ireland,

All the animals in the world,

Listen to me, song for you,

What will happen in the golden age.

This day will come sooner or later,

The tyrannical human beings were driven away,

This fertile land of England,

We animals run very well.

The cow's nose will no longer be circular,

There will be no saddle on horseback,

The bit and the spurs are rusted,

Whips don't roar overhead.

I can't imagine how rich this land is.

Wheat, barley, oats and hay,

Alfalfa, soybean and beet,

It all went into our pockets that day.

The sun shines all over England,

The river has also become crystal clear,

There seems to be honey flowing in the breeze.

We are free that day.

Fight for that day,

Even if we fall behind,

Cows, horses, geese and turkeys,

We work together for freedom.

All the animals in Britain,

All the animals in Ireland,

All the animals in the world,

Listen to me, song for you,

This is the golden age of the future.

The animals in this song are crazy. The animals began to sing by themselves before the major finished singing. Even the stupidest animal has found the right tune and can sing a few words. As for smarter animals, such as pigs and dogs, they remembered the song in a few minutes. Then, after several preliminary attempts, the animals on the whole farm started the British animal chorus very neatly. Cleisthenes, cattle, dogs, sheep, horses, ducks. They liked the song so much that they sang it five times in a row. If they are not disturbed, maybe they will sing all night.

Unfortunately, they were a little loud and woke up Mr. Jones. He jumped out of bed and thought a fox had entered the yard. So I picked up a shotgun leaning in the corner of my bedroom and fired six shots into the darkness. The bullet was deeply embedded in the wall of the barn, and the meeting had to be dissolved urgently. The animals scattered back to their nests. Birds perched on the branches, animals slept in the haystack, and the whole manor was silent again.