Destruction of Human Items and Renaming

The animals, barely believing their good fortune, first galloped around the farm boundaries to confirm that no human remained. Then they stormed the harness-room, flinging bits, nose-rings, dog-chains, and the cruel castrating knives down the well. The reins, halters, blinkers, nosebags, and whips were thrown onto a rubbish fire, and the animals capered with joy as the whips burned. Snowball tossed the market-day ribbons onto the flames, saying, "Ribbons should be considered as clothes, which are the mark of a human being. All animals should go naked." Boxer fetched his own straw hat, worn to keep flies from his ears, and added it to the fire.

With the physical symbols of human tyranny destroyed, Napoleon led the animals to the store-shed and issued a double ration of corn, with two biscuits per dog. They sang "Beasts of England" seven times before settling down to the deepest sleep they had ever known. The next day, after a tour of the farm that filled them with speechless admiration, the pigs revealed that they had taught themselves to read and write. Snowball painted out "Manor Farm" from the five-barred gate and replaced it with "Animal Farm". Then, with Squealer holding the paint-pot, Snowball climbed a ladder and inscribed the Seven Commandments on the tarred wall of the big barn in letters that could be read thirty yards away. The Commandments declared that whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy, whatever goes upon four legs or has wings is a friend, and forbade clothes, beds, alcohol, killing, and asserted that all animals are equal. Snowball read them aloud, and the animals nodded in complete agreement.