Baba, I think Orwell had only us in mind when he wrote this. Malanding Baba Galleh Jallow wrote: > Animal Farm Reloaded (Part one) > > By Baba Galleh Jallow > > As the overthrow of Farmer Jones and his human companions drifted > further into the past, the ‘lower animals’ on Animal Farm grew more > and more restive. Some grew very angry at what they saw as Napoleon’s > treasonable and vicious treachery and backsliding on his lofty > promises. In spite of all the assurances that the long-snouted > Squealer, Napoleon’s faithful crony, that the great leader had their > best interests at heart, the lower animals just could not be convinced > any longer and grew increasingly suspicious of the pigs’ motives. And > for good reasons too. > > While Clover the horse, Muriel the goat and Minimus the poet were > often carried away by Squealer’s honey-coated oratory, Benjamin the > donkey, Moses the raven, and a great number of animals maintained a > good deal of doubt in Napoleon the pig’s sincerity. Though he could > not boast of such intelligence as the pigs possessed, Benjamin the > donkey was sure that something had been going seriously wrong since > Napoleon’s fierce dogs chased Snowball the pig, a former leading > figure of his regime, out of Animal Farm accusing him of complicity > with the ousted Farmer Jones at the battle of the Cowshed. Even Toady > the frog agreed with Benjamin that Snowball was the architect and hero > of that memorable battle against Farmer Jones and his bunch of human > invaders. In spite of Napoleon’s claims to the contrary, Benjamin was > sure that he heard Snowball cry attack! and saw the brave pig butt and > bite Jones himself, sending him on his heels. That Napoleon should > therefore insist that Snowball was a traitor just could not make sense > to Benjamin, though for many years, he kept mute about what he > thought. When he felt really pissed off at Napoleon’s treachery, > Benjamin the donkey would turn his backside in the direction of > Napoleon’s mansion, hold his breath, and let out a long and loud fart > as an expression of his displeasure at the ungrateful and treacherous > pig. > > It was not only Benjamin who grew increasingly restive and angry under > the rule of the clever pigs of Animal Farm. Many other animals were > getting increasingly worried and angry. Over the years, they had seen > Napoleon become more and more like Farmer Jones in more and more > respects. They had seen him grow more and more arrogant by the hour, > more and more wealthy, and more and more fat and confident that he > could do just anything and get away with it because he had fierce dogs > guarding him and ready to execute anyone like they executed those > innumerable cows, sheep, and hens who were accused of collaborating > with Snowball. The lower animals were particularly pissed off that > Napoleon had cultivated the nauseating habit of loudly proclaiming > that he possessed supernatural powers and that he was actually some > kind of divine being in pigskin. Napoleon not only made such dubious > proclamations: he also insisted, upon pain of death and destruction > that all the lower animals accept his words without doubt or question. > In spite of their dullness of wit, Benjamin the donkey, Muriel the > goat, Minimus the poet, and indeed all the lower animals had begun > realizing that Napoleon the pig had fast become worse than Farmer > Jones. Even the sheep who piped “four legs good, two legs better” when > Napoleon decided to walk on two legs, were growing less enthusiastic > about their song. Now when they sang it, they only slightly parted > their lips and half-heartedly bleated . . . ur le goo--- wo leg mbe . > . . with their eyes closed, and often dropped a few piles of dung as > they sang as a show of defiance and resistance. > > Of course, Napoleon was not to be openly challenged by anyone on > Animal Farm - sheep, goat, monkey, donkey or pig. He ensured that his > gang of faithful dogs was well fed and kept as stupid as possible by > criminalizing all thinking among their ranks. Those dogs that showed > the slightest signs of displeasure at Napoleon’s rule or exhibiting > any suspicious behavior were effectively terminated. So that the > recent history of Animal Farm was sprinkled with a series of sudden > and unexplained arrests, summary executions, disappearances, and > remote-controlled treason trials of dogs formally considered loyal to > Napoleon. Of course, these trials, where Napoleon took the liberty to > order their procedure, were merely put up for show. No one was ever > declared innocent at these trials. Every single dog or other animal > brought before these tribunals were declared guilty as charged. > > To ensure that his plan to subdue and control all the animals worked > perfectly, Napoleon appointed his most faithful crony Squealer the > Dealer, Director of Animal Affairs. He also ordered his storekeepers > to supply the best honey and grain to Kokoliko, his faithful black > cockerel, so that his voice would become louder and clearer when he > announced the numerous exploits of the gallant Napoleon and proclaimed > the verity of his divinity on top of Napoleon’s miracle tree, the > tallest on Animal Farm, every dawn, every noon, and every sunset. This > tree was designated a miracle tree and sign of Napoleon’s divinity > when it had three fruits stuck together. The Great God Yallah, it was > proclaimed throughout the land, was demonstrating Napoleon’s > near-divinity to the lower animals by causing a triplet fruit to > sprout from the belly of that tree, even though it was not pregnant. > All the other pigs at the farm were kept well fed and well clothed and > some sows he honored by taking them on as his mistresses and > concubines. He ensured that his clever dealings with Mr. Squinteyes of > dubious fame filled the lower animals with awe at his mental prowess > and made them see that he was indeed a superior kind of pig whose name > was even mentioned in the holy books. To drive the message of his > invincibility and mental prowess home, Napoleon ordered that the seven > principles of Animalism be abolished and replaced with the bold > caption: ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, PIGS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHER > ANIMALS, NAPOLEON IS MORE EQUAL THAN EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD! > > When Napoleon sold Boxer the great horse to the horse slaughterer, he > totally lost the loyalty of more animals. Benjamin the donkey, Clover > the horse, and Minimus the poet were particularly aggrieved. > Squealer’s explanation that Boxer had been taken to a hospital in > Willingdon Farm failed to convince the animals. And when news of > Boxer’s death reached their tortured ears, their worst fears and > suspicions were confirmed in no uncertain terms. Surely, Boxer did not > deserve such cruel treatment from Napoleon whom he always insisted was > always right. But because Napoleon’s fierce dogs menacingly growled > and bared their sharp, bloodthirsty teeth when anyone asked stupid > questions, the animals took Squealer’s explanation quietly but > angrily. Boxer was never mentioned in public again, but the animals > angrily whispered about him and cursed Napoleon whenever they were in > their private spaces. > > Throughout that day, Benjamin the donkey ate more hay than ever before > and deliberately picked up and swallowed every piece of rubbish he > could find. As soon as darkness fell on Animal Farm, Benjamin crept > quietly to a few feet away from an open window of Napoleon’s mansion, > turned his backside to it, and let out a long, drawn, silent fart. As > he walked away, he heard Napoleon loudly coughing, spluttering, > cursing, and asking what the hell was wrong with everybody in that > darned house! Benjamin the donkey, like a few other animals on the > Farm, had discovered the power of the secret weapons of the weak, and > they were going to use them generously against the tyrant Napoleon. No > help from goats! > > _________________________________________________________________ > Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! 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