Hello, my name's Tim.
Today's story is about a group of talking farm animals who rebel against their human masters and take control of their farm.
It's also a powerful allegory about the corrupting influence of power.
Our story begins in Manor Farm where a pig called Old Major has called the other farm animals to a secret meeting.
He tells them that the farmer they work for, Mr. Jones, treats them as slaves and works them to the bone.
He urges them to organize a rebellion against Jones.
Soon after Old Major dies, but his speech has inspired three younger pigs, Snowball, Napoleon,
and Squeela, who take his ideas and work them up into a belief system which they call animalism.
When Farmer Jones forgets to feed the animals, they've had enough.
They break into the store shed to find food.
Farmer Jones gets very worked up and tries to stop them but they chase him away.
The farm is renamed Animal Farm and the animals decide to work together to protect their newfound freedom.
They agree on the seven commandments of animalism which are painted on the barn wall.
The most important of these is number seven.
All animals are equal.
For a while, life is good and it looks like the rebellion has worked.
Snowball organizes classes to teach the animals to read and write.
Napoleon doesn't agree with teaching the older animals.
Instead, he works on his own project.
He finds nine young puppies, taking them away from their mother and educating them himself.