Nevertheless(in spite of that; notwithstanding; however [ˌnɛvərðəˈlɛs]), (punctuation mark used to indicate a pause or separation of ideas within a sentence)towards(in the direction of; approaching [təˈwɔrdz]) the end of January(the final days of the first month of the year [ðə ɛnd əv ˈʤænjuˌɛri]) it became obvious(it became clear or apparent [ɪt bɪˈkeɪm ˈɑbviəs]) that(introduces a subordinate clause [ðət]) it would be necessary(it was essential or required [ɪt wʊd bi ˈnɛsəˌsɛri]) to procure(to obtain or acquire, especially with effort [tɪ proʊˈkjʊr]) some more grain(an additional quantity of cereal crops [səm mɔr greɪn]) from somewhere(from an unspecified place [frəm ˈsəmˌwɛr]). In these days Napoleon(referring to a character named Napoleon [nəˈpoʊljən]) rarely appeared(seldom showed up; infrequently made an appearance [ˈrɛrli əˈpɪrd]) in public(openly; where people can see [ɪn ˈpəblɪk]), (punctuation mark used to indicate a pause or separation of ideas within a sentence)but(a conjunction used to introduce a contrasting statement [bət]) spent(past tense of 'spend', meaning to pass time [spɛnt]) all his time(the entirety of his time [ɔl hɪz taɪm]) in the farmhouse(inside the house on the farm [ɪn ðə ˈfɑrmˌhaʊs]), (punctuation mark used to indicate a pause or separation of ideas within a sentence)which(relative pronoun referring to the farmhouse [wɪʧ]) was guarded(was protected or watched over [wɑz ˈgɑrdɪd]) at each door(at every entrance [æt iʧ dɔr]) by fierce-looking dogs(by dogs that appeared aggressive and dangerous [baɪ fierce-looking dɔgz]). When he did emerge(he actually came out or appeared [hi dɪd ˈimərʤ]) it was(referring to the manner of his appearance [ɪt wɑz]) in a ceremonial manner(in a formal and ritualistic way [ɪn ə ˌsɛrəˈmoʊniəl ˈmænər]), (punctuation mark used to indicate a pause or separation of ideas within a sentence)with an escort(accompanied by a protective group [wɪθ ən ˈɛskɔrt]) of six dogs(a group of six canines [əv sɪks dɔgz]) who(relative pronoun referring to the dogs [hu]) closely surrounded(kept him tightly enclosed [ˈkloʊsli sərˈaʊndɪd]) him(referring to Napoleon [ɪm]) and(a conjunction used to connect words or phrases [ənd]) growled(made a low, guttural sound of hostility [graʊld]) if(on the condition that; whenever [ɪf]) anyone came(any person approached [ˈɛniˌwən keɪm]) too near(too close in proximity [tu nɪr]). Frequently he did not even appear(he didn't even show up [hi dɪd nɑt ˈivɪn əˈpɪr]) on Sunday mornings(on the mornings of Sundays [ɔn ˈsənˌdi ˈmɔrnɪŋz]), (punctuation mark used to indicate a pause or separation of ideas within a sentence)but(a conjunction used to introduce a contrasting statement [bət]) issued his orders(gave his commands or instructions [ˈɪʃud hɪz ˈɔrdərz]) through(by means of; via [θru]) one of the other pigs(one of the other swine [wən əv ðə ˈəðər pɪgz]), (punctuation mark used to indicate a pause or separation of ideas within a sentence)usually(generally; normally [ˈjuʒəwəli]) Squealer(referring to a character named Squealer [squealer]).
One Sunday morning(Refers to a specific Sunday morning [wən ˈsənˌdi ˈmɔrnɪŋ]) Squealer(A character's name, likely a pig in the story [squealer]) announced(Made a formal or public statement [əˈnaʊnst]) that(introduces a subordinate clause [ðət]) the hens(Female chickens [ðə hɛnz]), who had just come in to lay again(A relative clause describing the hens, indicating they had recently started laying eggs again [hu hæd ʤɪst kəm ɪn tɪ leɪ əˈgɛn]), must surrender(Were required to give up [məst sərˈɛndər]) their eggs(The eggs belonging to the hens [ðɛr ɛgz]). Napoleon(A character's name, likely a pig in the story, and the leader [nəˈpoʊljən]) had accepted(Had agreed to [hæd ækˈsɛptɪd]), through Whymper(Via Mr. Whymper, acting as an intermediary [θru whymper]), a contract(A formal agreement [ə ˈkɑnˌtrækt]) for four hundred eggs a week(Specifies the quantity of eggs required per week in the contract [fər fɔr ˈhənərd ɛgz ə wik]). The price of these(The money received from selling the eggs [ðə praɪs əv ðiz]) would pay for(Would be sufficient to purchase [wʊd peɪ fər]) enough grain and meal(Sufficient quantity of grain and ground grain (meal [ɪˈnəf greɪn ənd mil]) to keep the farm going(To sustain the farm's operations [tɪ kip ðə fɑrm goʊɪŋ]) till summer came on(Until the arrival of summer [tɪl ˈsəmər keɪm ɔn]) and conditions were easier(And circumstances became less difficult [ənd kənˈdɪʃənz wər ˈiziər]).
When the hens heard this(Upon hearing this news [wɪn ðə hɛnz hərd ðɪs]) they raised a terrible outcry(They protested loudly and vehemently [ðeɪ reɪzd ə ˈtɛrəbəl ˈaʊtˌkraɪ]). They had been warned earlier(They had received a prior warning [ðeɪ hæd bɪn wɔrnd ˈərliər]) that this sacrifice might be necessary(That giving up their eggs could be required [ðət ðɪs ˈsækrəˌfaɪs maɪt bi ˈnɛsəˌsɛri]), but had not believed(But they did not think [bət hæd nɑt bɪˈlivd]) that it would really happen(That it would actually occur [ðət ɪt wʊd ˈrɪli ˈhæpən]). They were just getting their clutches ready(They were preparing their nests of eggs [ðeɪ wər ʤɪst ˈgɪtɪŋ ðɛr ˈkləʧɪz ˈrɛdi]) for the spring sitting(For hatching eggs in the springtime [fər ðə spərɪŋ ˈsɪtɪŋ]), and they protested(And they objected strongly [ənd ðeɪ ˈproʊˌtɛstəd]) that to take the eggs away now(That removing the eggs at this time [ðət tɪ teɪk ðə ɛgz əˈweɪ naʊ]) was murder(Was akin to killing their offspring [wɑz ˈmərdər]). For the first time(Previously not [fər ðə fərst taɪm]) since the expulsion of Jones(Since Mr. Jones was removed from the farm [sɪns ðə ɪkˈspəlʃən əv ʤoʊnz]) there was something resembling a rebellion(There was an action that looked like a revolt [ðɛr wɑz ˈsəmθɪŋ rɪˈzɛmbəlɪŋ ə rɪˈbɛljən]). Led by three young Black Minorca pullets(Headed by three young female chickens of the Black Minorca breed [lɛd baɪ θri jəŋ blæk məˈnɔrkə pullets]), the hens made a determined effort(The hens tried hard [ðə hɛnz meɪd ə dɪˈtərmənd ˈɛfərt]) to thwart Napoleon's wishes(To prevent Napoleon from getting what he wanted [tɪ θwɔrt nəˈpoʊliənz ˈwɪʃɪz]). Their method was(The way they did this was [ðɛr ˈmɛθəd wɑz]) to fly up to the rafters(To fly to the beams supporting the roof [tɪ flaɪ əp tɪ ðə ˈræftərz]) and there lay their eggs(And lay their eggs there [ənd ðɛr leɪ ðɛr ɛgz]), which smashed to pieces on the floor(Which broke into fragments when they hit the floor [wɪʧ smæʃt tɪ ˈpisɪz ɔn ðə flɔr]). Napoleon acted swiftly and ruthlessly(Napoleon took quick and merciless action [nəˈpoʊljən ˈæktɪd sˈwɪftli ənd ˈruθləsli]). He ordered the hens’ rations to be stopped(He commanded that the hens' food supply be cut off [hi ˈɔrdərd ðə hɛnz ˈræʃənz tɪ bi stɑpt]), and decreed(And officially declared [ənd dɪˈkrid]) that any animal giving so much as a grain of corn(That any animal providing even a tiny amount of corn [ðət ˈɛni ˈænəməl ˈgɪvɪŋ soʊ məʧ ɛz ə greɪn əv kɔrn]) to a hen(To any hen [tɪ ə hɛn]) should be punished by death(Would be killed as punishment [ʃʊd bi ˈpənɪʃt baɪ dɛθ]). The dogs saw to it(The dogs ensured [ðə dɔgz sɔ tɪ ɪt]) that these orders were carried out(That these commands were followed [ðət ðiz ˈɔrdərz wər ˈkɛrid aʊt]). For five days the hens held out(The hens resisted for five days [fər faɪv deɪz ðə hɛnz hɛld aʊt]), then they capitulated(Then they surrendered [ðɛn ðeɪ kəˈpɪʧəˌleɪtɪd]) and went back to their nesting boxes(And returned to their nests [ənd wɛnt bæk tɪ ðɛr ˈnɛstɪŋ ˈbɑksɪz]). Nine hens had died in the meantime(Nine hens had died during this period [naɪn hɛnz hæd daɪd ɪn ðə ˈminˌtaɪm]). Their bodies were buried in the orchard(Their corpses were put in the ground in the orchard [ðɛr ˈbɑdiz wər ˈbɛrid ɪn ðə ˈɔrʧərd]), and it was given out(And it was announced [ənd ɪt wɑz ˈgɪvɪn aʊt]) that they had died of coccidiosis(That they had died from a parasitic disease [ðət ðeɪ hæd daɪd əv coccidiosis]). Whymper heard nothing of this affair(Whymper was not informed about this event [whymper hərd ˈnəθɪŋ əv ðɪs əˈfɛr]), and the eggs were duly delivered(And the eggs were delivered as agreed [ənd ðə ɛgz wər ˈduli dɪˈlɪvərd]), a grocer's van driving up to the farm once a week(A delivery truck from a grocery store coming to the farm weekly [ə ˈgroʊsərz væn ˈdraɪvɪŋ əp tɪ ðə fɑrm wəns ə wik]) to take them away(To collect the eggs [tɪ teɪk ðɛm əˈweɪ]).