A cry of lamentation went up. Straw was laid down outside the doors of the farmhouse, and the animals walked on tiptoe. With tears in their eyes they asked one another what they should do if their Leader was taken away from them.
i) Where is the current scene set? Who is the Leader mentioned here?
Answer : The current scene is set in the Animal Farm. The animals were going into the farmhouse which was initially occupied by Mr Jones. Now they were going in to see Napoleon, their leader.
ii) What was the rumour behind the leader’s current state?
Answer : The rumour behind Napoleon’s current state was that he was dying. Stories were circulated that Snowball had after all contrived to introduce poison into Napoleon’s food.
iii) What was the reality behind the Leader’s current state?
Answer : Squealer had announced that Comrade Napoleon was dying. Actually that was not the case. The pigs had got their hands on whisky in one of the cellars of the farmhouse. Napoleon was not dying, he had drunk too much.
iv) How did the animals react to the current state of their Leader?
Answer : The animals of the farm were totally taken aback after hearing that their Leader, Comrade Napoleon was dying. With tears in their eyes they asked one another what would they do if their Leader was taken away from them.
v) Did the Leader come out of this situation?
Answer : Yes, after the effects of whisky wore off, Napoleon started to get better. By the evening however, Napoleon appeared to be somewhat better, and the following morning Squealer was able to tell them that he was well on the way to recovery. By the evening of that day Napoleon was back at work, and on the next day it was learned that he had instructed Whymper to purchase in Willingdon some booklets on brewing and distilling.
About this time there occurred a strange incident which hardly anyone was able to understand. One night at about twelve o’clock there was a loud crash in the yard, and the animals rushed out of their stalls.
i) Why had the loud crash happened?
Answer : The loud crash had happened as Squealer had fallen off after the ladder he was using broke in two. He was also carrying a paint brush and white paint with him.
ii) What had happened to the Seven Commandments?
Answer : Later, when Clover noticed the Seven Commandments, she thought that something was amiss. She was not able to read the Commandments and thus took Muriel’s help. Muriel told her that the Fifth Commandment now read ‘No animal shall drink alcohol to excess.’
iii) How did Squealer behave after this incident?
Answer : Squealer, temporarily stunned, was sprawling beside it, and near at hand there lay a lantren, a paintbrush, and an overturned pot of white paint. The dogs immediately made a ring round Squealer, and escorted him back to the farmhouse as soon as he was able to walk.
iv) How did the other animals behaved after this incident?
Answer : The animals saw Squealer lying near the Seven Commandments with a broken ladder, a paint brush and some white paint. Then they saw the dogs escorting him. None of the animals could form any idea as to what this meant, except old Benjamin, who nodded his muzzle with a knowing air, and seemed to understand, but would say nothing.
v) Which other Commandments had been changed?
Answer : Since Snowball had been overthrown by Napoleon, many of the Commandments saw some minute changes over time. The Fourth Commandment ‘No animal shall sleep in a bed’ was changed to ‘No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets’. The Fifth Commandment was ‘No animal shall drink alcohol’ but it was changed to ‘No animal shall drink alcohol in excess.’ The Sixth Commandment was changed from ‘No animal shall kill any other animal’ to ‘No animal shall kill any other animal without cause.’ Finally, none of the original Commandments were left. There was only one Commandment that remained. It was ‘all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others’.
Long Answer Type Question
Question 1 : Describe the Battle of the Windmill in your own words.or
How did Fredrick trick the animals? Give a detailed account of the Battle of the Windmill which was fought between the animals and Frederick and his men. [\alert-announce]
Answer : Napoleon had decided to sell the timber to Frederick. Every animal was struck dumb after hearing this they were told that this had been the plan all the time. All relations with Foxwood had been broken off and pigeons were told to avoid the Pinchfield Farm. The rumours against Frederick was spread by Snowball and his agents, the animals were told. It was also heard that Snowball was actually at Foxwood. Napoleon’s cunningness had forced Frederick to raise his prices by twelve pounds and he was also made to pay in cash instead of a cheque. The sum was enough to buy machinery for the windmill. The bank-notes were also put on display.
Three days later, Whymper came in a great rush and with a deadly pale face. He informed them that the animals had been cheated and the bank-notes were not real. Napoleon immediately announced death sentence upon Frederick. Now, it was also feared that Frederick would attack them any moment. The security was tightened and pigeons were sent to Foxwood in hope of some help.
The very next morning they were attacked. However, unlike the Battle of Cowshed, the animals did not have an easy victory. The men were carrying guns and the animals had to take shelter in farm buildings. There was also no help from Pilkington. The men then blew up the windmill by blasting powder. This filled the animals with might vengeance and they retaliated with full force. Many animals were killed. Nonetheless, many men had also been grievously injured and they were forced to flee away. The animals had won but the sight of their dead comrades brought them tears. The explosion had decimated the windmill. They were very much taken aback to see it in ruins and did not think that they had won anything in this battle.
But their mood changed when they saw their flag flying and Napoleon giving a congratulation speech to them. They celebrated for whole two days. The battle was announced to be called the Battle of the Windmill. Napoleon again bestowed upon himself another honour.
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10