The animals on Manor Farm work long hours with little food under Mr. Jones, who is often drunk. One day, Old Major, a prize boar who has lived to a long age, calls the animals together after dark. He tells them that their human overlords do no work while taking away the fruits of the animals' efforts. He says that he was dreamt of a future in which man does not interfere and animals work for themselves. He says that although he will not live to see the Rebellion, he knows that it will happen and that any two-legged creature should be feared. The animals learn a song called "Beasts of England", which speaks of the day when animals roam free.
A short while later, after Old Major's death, Mr. Jones's men forget to feed the animals for the entire day and when they start to help themselves, take out their whips. Enraged, the animals rebel, establishing Animal Farm and 7 commandments by which all animals should abide. They ensure that no animal will ever become like a human. At first, all seems to go well. The pigs, being the smartest, take over the day to day operations with Snowball and Napoleon at the helm. The farm becomes much more efficient and the animals prosper, even defeating human attackers who attempt to retake the farm thanks to Snowball's brilliant tactics. The general human response is to pretend that the animals have become cannibals and the farm is disorderly.
