P Puppy
It does look stupid, Mom.
Fly the Border Collie
Not as stupid as sheep, mind you, but pigs are definitely stupid.
Babe
[clears throat]
Excuse me. No, we're not.
Fly
Good heavens! Who are you?
Babe
I'm a Large White.
Fly
Yes, that's your breed, dear. What's your name?
Babe
I don't know.
Fly
Well, what did your mother call you to tell you apart from your brothers and sisters?
Babe
Our Mom called us all the same.
Fly
And what was that, dear?
Babe
She called us all "Babe."
H Horse
[neighs]
Perhaps we shouldn't talk too much about, uh, family. [whinnies]
Babe
[sobbing]
I want my Mom. [crying]
Fly
[stares at Babe, then goes up to him]
There, there…you've got to be a brave boy, now. I left my mother when I was your age, and my puppies will have to leave me soon. But I'll keep the eyes on you, if you like, just till you find your feet. [Rex shows up, sees Babe] The little pig's a bit low. He's going to sleep with us, just till he finds his feet.
Rex the Male Sheepdog
[whimpers]
Until he finds his feet. [leaves]
P Puppy
But, Mom, he'll wet the bed?
Fly
Shh, listen. [to Babe] If you do want to do anything, you'll go outside, won't you? Good boy.
Ferdinand
Humans eat ducks?
Babe
[gasping]
I beg your pardon?
Ferdinand
Ah, most ducks would like to forget it, but the fact is that humans like to eat plump, attractive ducks.
Babe
Ohhh, I don't think so. Not the Boss, not the Boss's wife.
Ferdinand
Oh, come on. Duchess, the Hoggetts' cat? Why?
Babe
Well, they're…
Ferdinand
They're indispensable—they Fly's puppies? You eat chickens—why? They make eggs with the chickens and the hens and wake everyone up in the morning.
Babe
Right…
Ferdinand
I'm tired to with the chickens and hens; it didn't work. So I turned to quacking, and hello? I discover my gift! But no sooner do I become indispensable than they bring in a machine to do the job! Ohhhh-oh-oh, the treachery of it?—the mechanical roosters?
Babe
Oh dear me…
Ferdinand
Oh dear you?! [sighs/quacks] I suppose the life of an anorexic duck doesn't amount to much in the broad scheme of things. But, pig, I'm all I've got!
Babe
Um…why do you need me to to do it?
Ferdinand
[sighs/quacks]
I'm allergic to Duchess.
Babe
Oh.
Ferdinand
They make me sneeze.
Babe
Oh. Don't worry, I won't sleep to Duchess.
DC Duchess the Cat
Oh, do forgive me for scratching you, dear. I got a bit carried away. It's a cat thing.
Babe
Oh, well, but…
D Duchess
Feeling good about tomorrow, are you?
Babe
Mm-hmm. It should be all right, I think.
D Duchess
You know, I probably shouldn't say this, but I'm not sure if you realize how much the other animals are laughing at you for this sheep dog business.
Babe
Why would they do that?
D Duchess
Well, they say you've forgotten that you're a pig. Isn't that silly? They say you don't even know what pigs are for.
Babe
What do you mean?
D Duchess
You know, why pigs are here.
Babe
Why are any of us here?
D Duchess
Well, the cows are here to be milked. The dogs are here to help the Boss's husband with the sheep. I am here to be beautiful and affectionate to the Boss.
Babe
Yes?
D Duchess
[sighs softly]
The fact is that pigs don't have a purpose. Just like…ducks don't have a purpose.
Babe
I—I don't, uh…
D Duchess
Alright, for your sake, I'll be blunt. Why do the Bosses keep ducks? To eat them. So why do the Bosses keep a pig? The fact is animals without a purpose really do have a purpose. The Bosses have to eat. It's probably the most noble purpose of all when you come to think about it.
Babe
[horrified]
They eat pigs?
D Duchess
Pork, they call it. Or bacon. They only call them pigs when they're alive.
Babe
[frightened]
But, uh, I'm a sheep pig?
D Duchess
[giggles]
The Boss's husband is just playing a little game with you. Believe me, sooner or later, every pig gets eaten. That's the way the world works. Oh, I haven't frustrated you, have I? [chuckles softly]
Fly
[The same fact happens later as Babe tries to follow the sheepdogs to the fields]
Not you, dear.
Babe
Why not?
Fly
We have to do dogs' work. You're a pig. Your job is to stay here and eat your food. We'll be back at the end of the day.
Maa
[Babe is very confused. He does not even know what a sheep is. He looks around the busy farmyard. Hens bustle in their coop. Ducks wash in the pond. And no one pays the slightest attention to him. Then he hears something new]
Darn wolf! Never do leave a body alone. [Babe investigates inside the pen] Nag, nag, nag, all day long. Go here, go there, do this, do that. [coughing]
Babe
I'm not a wolf.
Maa
Oh, I knows all that. Calls yourself a sheepdog. But you don't fool none of us.
Babe
I'm not a sheepdog, either. [moves to look through a gap between the planks of the pen]
Maa
Well, I'll be dipped! What are you?
Babe
Pig. Large White. What are you?
Maa
Ewe.
Babe
Not me, who are you?
Maa
That's what I am! I - am - a - ewe!
Babe
Oh, you're a sheep! [goes inside the barn to see Maa]
Maa
The name's Maa. And I'm stuck in this little box till the Boss makes me well again.
Babe
What's wrong with you, Maa?
Maa
Foot rot. And I've had a nasty cough. And I'm not as young as I used to be. [coughs]
Babe
[Outside the barn, Esme hears the sheep bleating. She shrugs and harvests more vegetables. Back inside the barn]
You don't look very old to me.
Maa
Too kind. First kind word I've heard in donkey's years. You seem a nice young chap, not like them wolves. Treat you like dirt, they do so. Bite you as soon as look at you, the–
Babe
Bite you?
Maa
And worse. Much worse. Savages!
Babe
Fly would never be mean.
Maa
Who's that?
Babe
She's my mu – she's the sheepdog here.
Maa
Fly, is that it? Black-and-white? Teeth sharp as a steel trap? [Babe nods] All them wolves is cruel to us sheep. Always have been. No brains, no heart. [She coughs again] Wouldn't want to see a gentle soul like you mixing with the likes of them.
[Now Babe is more mixed up than ever. Is his new mother really bad? That evening as Fly comes in from the fields, she gives Babe's face a big, slurpy kiss. As he nuzzles against her, Babe decides that the old sheep may be wrong. Perhaps Maa is confused because she is sick. Babe hopes she will get better soon]
Ferdinand
Let's go over it one more time.
Babe
I go through the kitchen, across the living room...
Ferdinand
How do you go across the living room?
Babe
Silently, so I don't awaken the cat. Then into the bedroom, get the mechanical rooster, and bring it out to you. [thinks of something] But it's against the rules. Only dogs and cats are allowed in the house.
Ferdinand
It's a nice rule. But this is a matter of life and death!
Babe
[confused]
That is?
Ferdinand
[sighs]
Come here. [they went inside the doghouse] Humans eat ducks!
Babe
[gasping]
I beg your pardon?
Ferdinand
Ah, most ducks prefer to forget it, but the fact is that humans like to eat plump, attractive ducks.
Babe
Ohhh, I don't think so. Not the Boss; not the Boss's wife.
Ferdinand
Oh, come on. Humans don't eat cats - why?
Babe
Well, they're...
Ferdinand
They're indispensable—they catch mice. Humans don't eat roosters—why? They make eggs with the chickens and the hens and wake everyone up in the morning.
Babe
Right...
Ferdinand
I tried it with the hens; it didn't work. So I turned to crowing, and lo! I discover my gift to become indispensable! But now they bring in a machine to do the job! Oohhhh-oh-oh, the treachery of it! A mechanical rooster!
Babe
Oh dear me...
Ferdinand
Oh, dear you?! [sighs/quacks] I suppose the life of an anorexic duck doesn't amount to much in the broad scheme of things. But, Pig, I'm all I've got!
Babe
Why do you want me to do it?
Ferdinand
[sighs/quacks]
Because...I'm allergic to cats.
Babe
Oh.
Ferdinand
They make me sneeze.
Babe
Oh. Don't worry, I won't wake up the cat.
Ferdinand
My life is in your hands...er, trotters.
[Babe slips silently through the cozy farm-doggy door and into the house kitchen. At the entrance to the living room, he pauses to look around. On the table is the dollhouse Mr. Hoggett is building for his granddaughter. Behind the pots of paint and brushes sit Mrs. Hoggett's knitting basket. And on the hearth rug is Duchess, the Hoggett's big grey cat. Luckily, Duchess is yet asleep. Babe carefully makes his road through the living room. He does his best to stay as far apart from Duchess as possible. Halfway across the room, Babe has to squeeze between an armchair and a table leg. His chubby hips nudge the table, and a ball of wool rolls out of the knitting basket. It bounces across the armchair, off a lamp, and around a vase before it hits the floor. Babe freezes in horror as he realizes the ball is rolling straight toward Duchess. Then, just before it touches the cat's silky paw, the yarn stops. Babe sighs in relief. Then he continues his careful trek across the living room. After that, the piglet's bright eyes never stray from the sleeping cat. But Babe is watching Duchess so carefully that he doesn't notice that some of the yarn has wrapped around one of his feet. With each step, the wool pulls tighter, tugging at the knitting basket, paint pots, the lamp and the vase. Ferdinand sees it all through the window. Before anything can fall, he silently rushes through the doggy door into the house]
Ferdinand
[silently rushes through the doggy door and into the house, flying]
STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!! [Babe stands like a statue as he lands] Stop. Stop, stop, stop, stop. Here, let me get you out. [gently plucks the yarn from around his hoof] Go outside.
Babe
But you said you needed me.
Ferdinand
Well, then, stand guard.
Babe
[follows Ferdinand]
Guard what?
Ferdinand
[moans]
Forget it. Stick with me, and please - I beg you - not one more word.
Ferdinand
[They go upstairs, and went into the Hoggetts' bedroom. Ferdinand climbs onto the bed, then onto the desk, and pushes the clock onto the bed. Babe picks it up in his mouth. Then together, they creep back into the living room, past Duchess. The cat stretches sleepily and her claw snags the yarn, which is yet wrapped around the furniture. Ferdinand and Babe both hold their breath] [a sneeze twitches in his nose]
Ah...
Babe
Don't sneeze, Ferdinand.
Ferdinand
Ah...
Babe
Just hold your breath.
Ferdinand
AHH...CHOO!!!
[Ferdinand's sneeze causes Babe to drop the clock from his mouth to the floor, with a loud ring. Duchess immediately awakens. Cut to outside, the farmhouse explodes with smashes, splashes, squeaks, bursts, quacks and a loud bang from inside. Ferdinand sneezes again, offscreen]
Rex
[The Hoggetts and Rex return home from the church. They walk inside, and Esme noticed that Duchess is covered in paint. She and Arthur also find the whole house is a mess. Behind the broken alarm clock are two sets of footprints in bright paint. One set is red and webbed. The other set is pointy and blue. Rex ponders what's going on] [Cut to the council inside barn, during the evening, Babe is covered in blue paint] [sighs]
It was my mistake. I was trying to loosen facts up a little. But, no. Today proves that it doesn't work. From now on, we'll all respect the rules. To each creature, its own destiny and every animal in its proper place. And a pig's proper place is under the old cart, not in the barn and absolutely never in the house. Is that understood?
Babe
Yes, sir.
Rex
Now, Pig, regarding the company you keep. Being young, it's hard to discriminate, so I'll make it easy for you. I forbid you to speak to or consort with that duck ever. Do I make myself clear?
Babe
Uh...what's "consort"?
H Horse
It means, young man, that you must not go anywhere near that duck.
Rex
And as for the fugitive duck, when he shows himself, let him know this, being a duck he must behave like a duck. No more of this crowing nonsense. He should accept what he is and be thankful for it. That goes for all of us.
Cow
Here, here!
Narrator
Rex continued long into the night. Elsewhere, there was more talk. The subject was Christmas dinner and whether that year the main course would be roast pork or Duck a l'Orange.
Esme Hoggett
And pork is a nice, sweet meat. Then there's the crackling. That always adds interest and texture.
Babe
[Soon Babe is pink again. The puppies are sold to other farmers who needs sheepdogs. Rex has no patience with Fly's disgrace, but Mr. Hoggett pats her gently, and Babe licks her snout]
Fly, may I call you Mom?
[Fly nuzzles the piglet tenderly. At last, Babe has truly found his place on Hoggett's farm. As the nights grow longer and colder, Babe grows bigger. First, Mr. and Mrs. Hoggett's daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren come to visit. The farmhouse is suddenly filled with all sorts of bright, shiny facts. There is singing and laughter. And the people pile brightly wrapped boxes under a tree inside the house]
Esme Hoggett
Hello!
The Hoggetts' son-in-law: Hey, folks, how are you? Merry Christmas!
Esme Hoggett
Merry Christmas! How's my favorite girl? Nanny has a jellybean. Give us a kiss. And guess what we're having for Christmas dinner? Roast pork.
The Hoggetts' granddaughter: I hate pork.
Maa
Darn silly carry-on, if you ask me.
H Horse
The cat says they call it Christmas.
Ferdinand
Christmas! Christmas dinner, yes. Dinner means death. Death means carnage! Christmas means carnage! CHRISTMAS MEANS CARNAGE!! [runs off in fear]
Maa
[Then one day, Mrs. Hoggett washes the mud off Babe and measures his taut belly with a tape measure. But Fly knows. She has seen other animals taken into the building near the barn. It is the fashion of nature, that doesn't stop her from feeling mournful]
Eating pigs! Blaah! Barbarians!
Babe
[runs up to Maa]
You're going back to the fields, Maa.
Maa
Oh, young'un, tragic there ain't more of your kind. I'll be thinking of you always.
Babe
I could come and visit you, Maa.
Maa
I'd like that, but...well, we shouldn't hope for too much. [gets yanked as the cart pulls forward, she follows]
Babe
[humming the tune of "Jingle Bells"]
La la la, la la la, la la la lala. La la la, lala la la, lalala la la la la, hey!
Narrator
[We cut to the Arthur and Esme cooking up some Christmas dinner]
And then, it was Christmas Eve, and time had run out for the pig.
H Mrs. Hoggett
Are you doing him tonight, then?
Farmer Hoggett
Huh.
H Mrs. Hoggett
Sure. The blood will drain by morning.
Farmer Hoggett
Pity.
H Mrs. Hoggett
What's that?
Farmer Hoggett
Nothing.
H Mrs. Hoggett
What on earth are you rambling on about?
Farmer Hoggett
Exchange to miss out on the best ham prize at next year's fair, is all. Nice plump haunches he's getting. Beautiful. Yet...silly to wait, I suppose so.
Mrs. Esme Cordelia Hoggett
[The duck isn't skinny Ferdinand. But it is a duck Ferdinand knows well, and it is enough to make up his mind]
Here it is!
Farmer Hoggett
The bird.
The Hoggetts' granddaughter: Yuck. Chicken?
The Hoggetts' daughter: No, it's Duck a l'Orange. And, Mother, it looks absolutely superb.
The Hoggetts' granddaughter: I'm not going to eat any of it!
The Hoggetts' daughter: Oh, this is fabulous.
Babe
Ferdinand!
Cow
If you're out here, who's that in there?
Ferdinand
Her name's Rosanna. Why Rosanna? She–She had such a beautiful nature.
Babe
Oh, Ferdinand.
Ferdinand
I can't take it anymore.
Cow
Really!
Ferdinand
The fear's too much for a duck. It eats away at the soul. There must be kinder dispositions in far-off gentler lands.
Cow
The only way you'll find happiness is to accept that the way things are is the way things are.
Ferdinand
The way things are stinks! I'm not gonna be a goner. I'm gone! I wish all of you the best of luck.
Babe
Where will you go?
Ferdinand
No idea. But I'm a clever duck. I could do with an adventure.
Babe
I'll miss you, Ferdy.
Ferdinand
Ferdy? Ha! No one's ever called me that before. Ha ha ha! Hey, good luck, Pig. Ha! I am out of here. [jumps up on the gate and turns to Babe]
Babe
Bye-bye.
Ferdinand
Hey! Oh! Ow! And would you do me a favor, old thing?
Babe
Anything Good Luck, Ferdinand and Farewell.
Ferdinand
Open the gate, right pig, huh? [with that said, he takes off]
Babe
Farewell!
Narrator
[Babe watches Ferdinand become a black dot in the heavens. Then he hears a faint sound of bleating. He scans the green hills for the source of the bleating. He sees a flock of sheep, a truck, strange men and a dog. Babe trots closer]
The pig knew it was against the rules to leave the farm. But something was certainly wrong.
Mrs. Esme Cordelia Hoggett
How lovely, darling. What is this?
The Hoggetts' son-in-law: It's a fax machine, Mother. You can send us letters by phone.
Arthur Hoggett
Huh.
Mrs. Esme Cordelia Hoggett
Oh.
Narrator
At any other time, the pig would've been tickled pink by his first visit to the sheep fields. But now, there was fear in the air. Maa and her kind were under threat.
SR Sheep Rustler
[Babe wriggles through the fence and runs across the field to join the frantic sheep. Woolly flanks press against him as the sheep are herded toward the truck]
Hey, Frank, feel like pork for dinner tonight?
Maa
Young'un! You're alive!
Babe
Maa! What's going on? Who are these men?
F Frank
I'll get him out. Come around, Sniff! [whistles]
Babe
[Sniff runs up while jumping on the flock]
Where's our boss? It doesn't seem right. [gets knocked over by Sniff]
[Babe runs for dear life, with the dog barking and snapping at his heels. He wriggles back through the fence and runs squealing louder to the farmhouse. The Hoggetts' granddaughter opens her last Christmas present in a greedy excitement to reveal the beautiful, extravagant, ultra-realistic handcrafted dollhouse her maternal grandfather, Arthur, made for her, unexpectedly lets out a loud, anguished shriek]
Esme
[upon seeing her granddaughter heartbroken]
What's wrong, dear?
The Hoggetts' granddaughter: [complaining and sobbing] It's the wrong one! [shrieking tearfully as we see Arthur smirking at his granddaughter's tantrum, trying not to laugh] I WANT THE HOUSE I SAW ON THE TELEVISION!! [crying]
Esme
[comforting her granddaughter]
Oh, there, there.
[We see see the Hoggetts' daughter chuckling and grinning at her daughter's tantrum. We see Fly and Rex past the fireplace. Fly watches this scene with pity in her eyes as if to say "Poor little tyke", but Rex lays down on the floor, looking away without showing any care or worry about his owners' granddaughter. Mr. Hoggett sees Fly's ears perk up at the sound. She starts barking. Something is wrong. The farmer races away in his truck. The dogs run across the fields. Rex reaches the other truck first. It is yet empty. The thieves hit the tailgate shut and smash through the fence at top speed. Rex is yet barking until Fly and Hoggett arrive. They are followed by an exhausted Babe. Hoggett pats Fly's head]
Farmer Hoggett
Nice dog. [Fly jumps into the truck bed. Then the farmer lifts Babe up behind her] Nice pig.
Fly
[That night, it is all over the farm that Mr. Hoggett thinks Babe is a watch-pig. Rex sulks because he hasn't heard Babe first. But Fly beams as she licks Babe's wounded tail]
I'm very proud of you, my boy.
Babe
I'm going to be a nice sheepdog if I grow up, aren't I?
Fly
None of my pups would have done any better than you did so today.
H Mrs. Hoggett
[The next morning, in the cozy farmhouse kitchen, the Hoggett family look over their Christmas presents. While his daughter and wife speak about the new fax machine, Hoggett gazes out the window. He sees the pig chasing chickens. And while he watches, Babe carefully separates the white hens from the brown, just as he's seen Fly shed certain sheep from the flock]
...a washing machine, a radio, a new alarm clock. I think it's a lovely fax machine, darling, but can't you use it?
The Hoggetts' daughter: We already have one, Mom. That's the entire idea. We can send faxes to each other. Now, don't be afraid of it just because it's new.
The Hoggetts' son-in-law: These accounts are a real concern, Arthur. Every month your expenditure is bigger than your income. It's eating up your reserves the entire time. You need to modernize, get some sort of cash flow going. You're yet using a horse and cart, for heaven's sakes. Dad?
Farmer Hoggett
Funny, that.
The Hoggetts' son-in-law: Wait, what?
Farmer Hoggett
These chickens, that pig.
The Hoggetts' son-in-law: What's the pig had to do with anything?
Farmer Hoggett
Nothing. Just look at them. The browns and the whites. [doesn't warn his family, but the next morning, he decides to see if he's really seen a pig herding chickens] Come, Rex. Come, Fly. [turns to Babe] Come, Pig. [Babe hesitates] Come, Pig!
Fly
[Rex tries to hide his shock as Babe follows the dogs through Hoggett's automatic sheep-gate]
Maybe he's pleased with you for what you did yesterday.
Babe
I didn't do much.
Fly
Well, if it wasn't for you, darling, they could've stolen the entire flock.
Babe
Is Rex unhappy with me?
Fly
Oh, he'll be alright. Just stay out of his road today.
Farmer Hoggett
[Babe does watch, very carefully, as Fly and Rex circle the flock of sheep]
Way to be, Fly. Rex, come by!
Babe
[The dogs bark fiercely and nip at woolly flanks. The panicked sheep run through a gate into the sorting yard]
You're so fast. I'd never be able to fly like you can.
Fly
Pigs aren't built to fly, darling. But speed isn't the fact. It's attitude. They just have to know who's boss.
Fly
[During the evening, while Babe is sleeping under the cart, Fly bravely walks up to Rex, who is lying on the front porch, very jealous]
Rex? [Rex doesn't answer] I know it was hard for you today, watching all that happening. But surely it's not worth all this misery. Please, darling. Not on such a beautiful night.
Rex
[gets up growling]
You...put these ideas into his head, two-faced traitorous WRETCH!!!
Farmer Hoggett
[attacks Fly in a fit rage, as Farmer Hoggett notices and goes outside to intervene]
Get down! Down, Rex! [Rex accidentally bites his hand] Rex...
Narrator
[Rex stops fighting as he realizes what he had done horribly wrong and steps back in shame, and Esme Hoggett gives him a frustrated and disgusting look on her face]
A dark cloud had descended on the valley. And the pig felt that the dangers were all his fault. But he was certain, he knew how to set things right.
Babe
[in an attempt to apologize for being better than him]
Um, excuse me, sir. But I-I-I-I think all this trouble-
V Vet
[But before Babe can conclude his sentence, Rex growls and snarls frustratingly at Babe, who becomes so frightened that he squeals louder and runs off. Rex attempts to apologize, but fails, and he puts his head down sadly. Farmer Hoggett noticed this. Later, Rex is muzzled during the vet's visit]
Well, it's not distemper. Can't be rabies. Must be the hormones.
Esme Hoggett
What about Hoggett's notion, the dog being jealous of the wee pig?
V Vet
Oh, I don't see that myself.
Esme Hoggett
No. Then what have we done?
V Vet
Well, you can keep him locked up or snip, snip. I can do it Tuesday.
Arthur Hoggett
No.
Esme Hoggett
Hoggett doesn't want the dog operated on. He's a breeding dog.
V Vet
Well, now, I can sedate him, of course, but he'll be useless as a working dog. [injects Rex] Now I'm gonna give you some pills to put in his food.
Arthur Hoggett
Good dog.
Narrator
A pig doing the work of a sheepdog? With Rex out of action and Fly injured from the fight, Farmer Hoggett had no choice.
Babe
Maa! Maa! The boss has to give you some medicine.
Maa
Oh, dear, I thought so! It's horrible stuff, that.
Babe
I know, but it's for the best.
Maa
Oh, our young'un, if you say so.
Farmer Hoggett
[With that said, the old sheep walks right up to Hoggett and takes her medicine, easy as you please]
Shoo! Shoo!
Narrator
[Now, a pig doing the work of a sheepdog seems like a full miracle to Farmer Hoggett. He can't deny what he has seen with his own eyes. In the fertile field of his imagination, his daydream swiftly grows into a certain plan. He will take Babe to the trials]
As the thought first came to him, Farmer Hoggett dismissed it as mere whimsy, but like most of his harebrained ideas, it wouldn't go away.
Babe
[That afternoon, Hoggett takes Fly and Babe to a field bustling with sheepdogs and Bosses and reluctant-looking men with clipboards]
What are they doing here?
Fly
It's a sheepdog trial.
Babe
Then it's like a competition for sheepdogs.
Fly
And their bosses. It's like an obstacle curse.
Babe
How do they decide who wins?
Fly
Well, it's time and mistakes. You get points for how fast you are and they take points away for every mistake. Every time a sheep goes the wrong road, that's a mistake and you lose points.
Babe
Looks like fun!
Fly
Oh, for a sheepdog, there's no prouder moment. You know, Rex and I used to...never mind.
Babe
Was Rex a champion?
Fly
He had the makings of the biggest champion there ever was, but it wasn't to be.
Babe
What just happened?
Fly
A while back if Rex was in his prime, the winter rains brought a grand flood to the valley. Rex and the boss got most of the flock onto the high ground. Then Rex went back to look for the strays. He found them. They'd been stranded by the rising water. He tried to herd them across to safety, but they wouldn't budge. Too afraid and too foolish to save their own skins. It was freezing cold and the water kept rising. Rex stayed with them right through the night. By morning, the sheep were drowned. But until they found Rex, he was barely alive.
Babe
Oh, Mum!
Fly
Two weeks rest in front of the fire saw him back on his feet, but his hearing was never the same again. He'd never let anyone know, but he's almost totally deaf.
Babe
Is that why he's so, you know, frustrated?
Fly
That's not the half of it. All this was barely a month before the Grand National Challenge. He tried his best, but he couldn't hear the boss's calls, and it slowed him up. The cold truth is that, but for the foolishness of sheep, Rex would've been the champion of champions.
[While Fly was narrating, Farmer Hoggett walks up to the dazed and muzzled Rex. He takes the muzzle off, and gently pets Rex, who is now calmed down with depression]
Babe
Mom. Mom! Mom! Can we start work early today?
Fly
Oh, dear, it's not even dawn yet. You can go to work until the rooster crows. Go back to sleep.
Babe
[In fact, Babe is so eager, he tries to get the rooster to crow early the next day]
Excuse me. Hello, sir. Excuse me, but it's almost dawn and......
Babe
I'm sorry to disturb you, but it's almost dawn, and I wondered if you'd mind crowing just a few moments early this morning.
R Rooster
Get out of here!
Babe
But, well, see I just...
Babe
Oh, okay Rooster.
S Sheep
[Then Babe trots out to the fields in the fuzzy predawn light]
Wolf! Babe! Wolf! Babe!
Narrator
[Babe hears terrified bleating. He runs to the aid of the flock. There are sheep tangled in the fence wire. The rest runs to and fro, with three wild dogs snarling and snapping at their heels. The growling dogs pull down a ewe. As the Christmas Eve rustlers come, Babe has felt fear mixed with frustration]
Now the pig understood why the sheep called all dogs wolves. And he was filled with a deep and horrible rage.
Babe
[Babe charges the nearest wild dog and knocks it on its side. The next one he bites as hard as he can. Babe tastes blood] [All three dogs run howling apart with their tails between their shaking legs. Babe chases them to the far fence] [As he is sure they are gone, Babe turns back to the frightened flock, which is gathered around the fallen ewe]
Maa! Maa! Are you alright?
Maa
Hello, young'un.
Babe
Oh, Maa, can you get up?
Maa
[Babe licks Maa's wounded neck. Blood smears his snout] [last words]
I don't reckon.
Babe
It's over, Maa. The wolves have gone far off. I'll get the boss up here to look after you. You'll be alright. You'll be alright! [but her eyes are far apart. Her head droops and life leaves her] Oh, Maa! Maa! [chokes back sobs, then bleating depressed as the sheep saying his name] MAA!! MAA!! MAA!!! MAA!!! [the Boss's truck rumbles up]
Farmer Hoggett
[Hoggett, Rex and Fly see Babe's bloody snout]
Go Home, pig.
Narrator
[Fly cannot meet Babe's eyes]
Fly knew that there was only one fate for any creature that took the life of a sheep on Hoggett Farm.
Mrs. Esme Cordelia Hoggett
[On the rainy day, Mrs. Hoggett leaves for the Country Women's Association trip, she is a storm of words. She has all kinds of instructions for Mr. Hoggett, mostly about what to feed himself and what to feed all the animals on the farm]
Now, it's all very simple. Just half an hour at 350 degrees. I've given you rabbit casserole on Friday. Now, for Duchess, it's liver in the morning, heart for the evening. Except for Fridays, if it's steak in the morning and the cooked liver at night. Warm it up in a frying pan for a bit, but test it before you give it to her because she bites into it before she knows what's what, the silly darling. [horn honks] That'll be the bus. Oh! Farewell.
Farmer Hoggett
Have a nice time. Farewell.
Mrs. Esme Cordelia Hoggett
Hello, everyone!
Mrs. Esme Cordelia Hoggett
[Hoggett carries her suitcase and listens without saying a word. He waves as she rides off on the minibus. Mrs. Hoggett is a little concerned about what her husband will do all alone]
Oh, dearie me, Valda. I know I have to be at the National Conference. I am the Assistant General Secretary of the Northeast Region after all, but I do worry about leaving that man alone.
V Valda
Yet acting a bit strange?
Mrs. Esme Cordelia Hoggett
Just silly facts. Odd little facts only a wife would notice. Yet, I suppose he can't get up to too much mischief in just three days, can he?
Babe
[She may have been dismayed indeed to see the farmer let Babe into the house to rest past the fire. But she can't have been more upset than Duchess the cat]
Oh. Nice evening. Disgrace about the weather. Nasty cough!
[Not since Rex has Arthur Hoggett has an animal in whose abilities he has so much faith. With the National Grand Challenge Sheepdog Trials only two days left, he isn't going to let that his animal is a pig stand in his road] [Then he takes out his rule book and reads it from cover-to-cover. Then he fills out an entry form. Ever a truthful man, Hoggett has concerned that the form may say "Name of Dog". In which case, whatever he wrote will be a lie. But luck is with him. For the form merely says "Name of Entry". Hoggett writes pigs. Then he uses the wondrous Christmas gift from his daughter and faxes the form to the contest]
Babe
It's alright. Really! I'm just, well...bless you.
Farmer Hoggett
[As soon as Babe settles into a peaceful nap, Duchess slinks up and scratches him on the snout. Babe awakens to a hissing, bristling enemy poised to attack again. But Hoggett steps between them]
Enough! [Then he tosses the cat out into the pouring rain]
Ferdinand
[Meanwhile, in the farmyard, a scrawny, bedraggled bird lands in a puddle. Ferdinand the duck looks even worse than usual.]
So, uh... what's happening?
Cow
Oh, no.
Fly
[Arthur Hoggett is happily watching TV––with Fly and Babe] [Suddenly, there is a bright flash of lightning and a huge clap of thunder. The TV goes black and all the lights go out. Hoggett checks the fuse box, but that isn't the damage. Then he decides to go to bed] [Fly suggests that Babe gets some sleep, as well]
You'll need to be on top form tomorrow.
Babe
[Babe cuddles closer to the fire]
Night, Mum.
[The little pig sleeps, but he has bad dreams. He awakens on the morning of the Nationals with a bit of a cold and feeling quite hesitant]
Farmer Hoggett
[Facts do not improve at the field of competition. The weather is gloomy. And as the Boss takes him to the sheep pen on a lead, Babe can't help noticing how many people stare]
Stay there.
Babe
[Babe takes a deep breath and addresses the strange sheep]
Um...excuse me, sheep...
Babe
[The animals do not even look up from their feed]
Hello! Hello! Good morning to you all!
S Sheep
[The sheep yet ignore him. But one turns to see the source of the sound. Babe gasps. The sheep's face is fully black, with a most unfriendly expression. She doesn't look like any sheep he has ever seen]
Baaaaa!
Babe
[Babe tries again]
Oh, boy. I've never met a sheep with such a strong, dark face. Are they feeding you well?
Fly
Babe, I'll try.
Fly
[Fly pushes in front of Babe and shouts at the sheep]
Alright, blockheads! Pay attention over here! Now, you pay attention to what this pig has to say to you or I'll come in there and tear you to shreds!
S Sheep
[This only makes the sheep hesitant]
Wolf! Baaaa! Wolf!
Fly
[Fly sighs]
Hadn't thought of this. Keep trying, keep speaking to them. I'll see what I can do so.
Babe
[Babe's stomach lurches]
The Boss'll look like a horrible fool if the sheep won't speak to me.
Fly
[Fly's furry brow knots with thought]
Need to go. I'll try to be back in time.
Rex
[Then she goes away as fast as she can. Rex stops her on her road out of the fairground]
You can't make it, but I can.
Fly
[Fly is surprised]
But you...you...
Rex
Don't worry. I won't let the little feller down. [With that said, he turns into a blur of speeding fur]
S Sheep
[While Rex is gone, Fly, Babe and Hoggett watch the other competitors run their trials. Mrs. Hoggett also watches the trials on TV with the other Country Women. The ground is slippery with mud, and even the best dogs have many twaddles] [Eventually, Rex reaches the Hoggett farm]
Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!
Rex
[Rex has no time for the fears of foolish sheep]
Shut up, you morons! The little pig's in trouble.
S Sheep
What trouble has come to our Babe, wolf?
Rex
The sheep at the trials won't speak to the little feller. He doesn't know what to do.
OS Old Sheep
[The flock whispers in confusion. Some think it is wrong to help a wolf, even if the wolf is trying to help Babe. But eventually, their love for the little pig wins out]
Stay here, wolf.
Rex
[Rex swallows his pride]
I'm sorry. You'll need to speak up. I'm...a little...hard of hearing.
S Sheep
I asked you to stay here, wolf. Do what you're warned by an old sheep for a chance, and we'll see what we can do for you.
OS Old Sheep
[Rex waits while the sheep come up with a plan. Eventually, the old sheep turns to Rex]
We've had something that might help Babe. But us sheep don't like giving it to no wolf.
Rex
[But before they will give Rex the password, the sheep makes him promise to treat them nicely and politely and not to bite them, and most of all never to use the password to harm another sheep in any fashion]
I promise you that. I'll make sure the pig knows it, as well. Don't you worry. The password is safe with me.
