Most scenes together: Fly the Border Collie & Babe (11), Narrator & Babe (7), Narrator & Fly the Border Collie (5)
Babe, you wait here.
Aren't pigs allowed?
Not live ones.
Why?
That's just the way things are! [goes inside]
Here it is!
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.
Ferdinand!
If you're out here, who's that in there?
Her name's Rosanna. Why Rosanna? She–She had such a beautiful nature.
Oh, Ferdinand.
I can't take it anymore.
Really!
The fear's too much for a duck. It eats away at the soul. There must be kinder dispositions in far-off gentler lands.
The only way you'll find happiness is to accept that the way things are is the way things are.
The way things are stinks! I'm not gonna be a goner. I'm gone! I wish all of you the best of luck.
Where will you go?
No idea. But I'm a clever duck. I could do with an adventure.
I'll miss you, Ferdy.
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]
Bye-bye.
Hey! Oh! Ow! And would you do me a favor, old thing?
Anything Good Luck, Ferdinand and Farewell.
Open the gate, right pig, huh? [with that said, he takes off]
Farewell!
The pig knew it was against the rules to leave the farm. But something was certainly wrong.
How lovely, darling. What is this?
The Hoggetts' son-in-law: It's a fax machine, Mother. You can send us letters by phone.
Huh.
Oh.
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?
Yes, sir.
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?
Uh...what's "consort"?
It means, young man, that you must not go anywhere near that duck.
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.
Here, here!
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.
And pork is a nice, sweet meat. Then there's the crackling. That always adds interest and texture.
...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?
Funny, that.
The Hoggetts' son-in-law: Wait, what?
These chickens, that pig.
The Hoggetts' son-in-law: What's the pig had to do with anything?
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!
Maybe he's pleased with you for what you did yesterday.
I didn't do much.
Well, if it wasn't for you, darling, they could've stolen the entire flock.
Is Rex unhappy with me?
Oh, he'll be alright. Just stay out of his road today.
Way to be, Fly. Rex, come by!
You're so fast. I'd never be able to fly like you can.
Pigs aren't built to fly, darling. But speed isn't the fact. It's attitude. They just have to know who's boss.
Not you, dear.
Why not?
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.
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]
I'm not a wolf.
Oh, I knows all that. Calls yourself a sheepdog. But you don't fool none of us.
I'm not a sheepdog, either. [moves to look through a gap between the planks of the pen]
Well, I'll be dipped! What are you?
Pig. Large White. What are you?
Ewe.
Not me, who are you?
That's what I am! I - am - a - ewe!
Oh, you're a sheep! [goes inside the barn to see Maa]
The name's Maa. And I'm stuck in this little box till the Boss makes me well again.
What's wrong with you, Maa?
Foot rot. And I've had a nasty cough. And I'm not as young as I used to be. [coughs]
You don't look very old to me.
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–
Bite you?
And worse. Much worse. Savages!
Fly would never be mean.
Who's that?
She's my mu – she's the sheepdog here.
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]
It was at that time that Mrs. Hoggett began to worry about her husband. But Farmer Hoggett knows that little ideas that tickled and nagged and refused to go away should never be ignored for in them lie the seeds of destiny.
Close the gate... like that, and you're done.
Oh, do forgive me for scratching you, dear. I got a bit carried away. It's a cat thing.
Oh, well, but…
Feeling good about tomorrow, are you?
Mm-hmm. It should be all right, I think.
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.
Why would they do that?
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.
What do you mean?
You know, why pigs are here.
Why are any of us here?
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.
Yes?
The fact is that pigs don't have a purpose. Just like…ducks don't have a purpose.
I—I don't, uh…
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.
Pork, they call it. Or bacon. They only call them pigs when they're alive.
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]
Humans eat ducks?
Ah, most ducks would like to forget it, but the fact is that humans like to eat plump, attractive ducks.
Ohhh, I don't think so. Not the Boss, not the Boss's wife.
Oh, come on. Duchess, the Hoggetts' cat? Why?
Well, they're…
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.
Right…
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?
Oh dear me…
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!
Um…why do you need me to to do it?
Oh.
They make me sneeze.
Oh. Don't worry, I won't sleep to Duchess.
Babe? Babe? [rushes out of the barn, then she runs around the house] Babe? Babe? [Rex is shown under the wagon watching Fly calling Babe and she approaches him, informing of what Duchess has done to Babe] Babe's run away? Rex? Please?
Call the boss. [Fly then barks at the window to alert Arthur of Babe run away, then they are shown following Babe's tracks and Rex rushes forward and finds Babe in the graveyard, shivering from the rain] He's over here! Hold on, pig. You'll be home soon. [Fly and Arthur approach him ready to bring him back home]
If those sheep won't talk to Babe. The boss is going to look like an idiot. I don't know what to do.
There's only one thing. [Fly tries to speak, but is cut off] I've got to go! I'll try to be back in time. :[runs off, as Arthur looks on with concern]
And so it was that in all the celebration, in all the hubbub of noise and excitement, there were two figures who stood silent and still. Side by side.
Ha, ha, ha, ha! The pig did it! The pig did it! The perfect score! [laughs]
Whoo! Whoo-hoo! Yippee! Yippee! Yippee!
And though every single human in the stands or in the commentary boxes was at a complete loss for words, the man who in his life had uttered fewer words than any of them knew exactly what to say.
It does look stupid, Mom.
Not as stupid as sheep, mind you, but pigs are definitely stupid.
Good heavens! Who are you?
I'm a Large White.
Yes, that's your breed, dear. What's your name?
I don't know.
Well, what did your mother call you to tell you apart from your brothers and sisters?
Our Mom called us all the same.
And what was that, dear?
She called us all "Babe."
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.
But, Mom, he'll wet the bed?
Shh, listen. [to Babe] If you do want to do anything, you'll go outside, won't you? Good boy.
If I had words to make a day for you
I'd sing you a morning golden and true
I would make this day last for all time
Then fill the night deep in moonshine
It's only your first try. But you're treating them like equals. They're sheep; they're inferior.
Christmas dinner, yeah. Dinner means death. Death means carnage! Christmas means carnage! Christmas means carnage!
