Episode 5: "A Pig that thinks it's a Dog":

Farmer Hoggett watched through the kitchen window, impressed to see how Babe was demonstrating his ability to sort brown hens from white ones. Next to him, Mrs. Hoggett was explaining to her daughter, while she was drying the dishes, about how she wasn't too sure about the new-fangled gadgets she had recently received:

Mrs. Hoggett: "A washing machine, a radio, a new alarm clock. I think it's a lovely fax machine, darling, but can't you use it?"
Daughter: "We already have one, Mom. That's the whole idea. We can send faxes to each other. Now don't be afraid of it just because it's new."

A distracted Farmer Hoggett was cautioned by his son-in-law, who was perusing his accounting records and noticed an imbalance in his income and cash flow: "Every month your expenditure is greater than your income. It's eating up your reserves the whole time. You need to modernize, get some sort of cash flow going. You're still using a horse and cart, for God's sakes."

The Farmer sought to try out Babe's sorting capabilities with his sheep, although it angered the two sheepdogs who felt insulted and displaced. Rex especially believed that Babe had insulted his canine species by usurping their place. After the two dogs ushered the sheep into a pen for sheep-shearing, Fly attempted to instruct Babe on the best way to treat the inferior animals - be rough:

"It's attitude. They just have to know who's boss...."

After the sheepshearing was completed, Fly again advised Babe, who had just been given orders by the Farmer ("Get 'em up, Pig") to drive the sheep out of the yard by himself:

"Remember, you have to dominate them. Do that and they'll do anything you want."

Babe's initial attempts at sheep-herding failed, as he called out: "Woof! Woof!" - the sheep only spitefully laughed at him. He felt defeated: "This is ridiculous, Mom." Fly urged him to be more forceful and mean:

"It's only your first try. But you're treating them like equals. They're sheep; they're inferior....We are their masters, Babe. Let them doubt it for a second and they'll walk all over you!...Make them feel inferior - abuse them, insult them...then bite them! Be ruthless. Whatever it takes, bend them to your will."

Babe tried his best with another effort: "Move along there, you - You, uh, big butt heads!" Then, he decided to bite one of the sheep, angering the elderly resident sheep Maa. Babe's chances at success improved after coaching from Maa, who suggested that Babe treat the animals with politeness:

Maa: "Young 'un, stop this nonsense. What's got into you all of a sudden? I just got finished tellin' what a nice young pig you be."
Babe: "Maa, I was just trying to be a sheepdog."
Maa: "Hah! Enough wolves in the world already without a nice lad like you turnin' nasty. You haven't got it in ya, young'un."

Meanwhile, Rex objected to treating lesser animals (such as pigs or sheep) so well, and argued with Fly:

Rex: "You and I are descended from the great sheepdogs. We carry the bloodline of the ancient Bahou. We stand for something! And today I watched in shame as all that was betrayed."
Fly: "Rex, dear. He's just a little pig."
Rex: "All the greater the insult!"

Babe took Maa's advice to heart and apologized to the mistreated sheep: "I'm sorry I bit you. Are you all right?" One responded: "I wouldn't call that a bite, myself. You got teeth in that floppy mouth or just gums?" Maa was impressed by Babe's new approach: "You see, ladies, a heart of gold. Ahh. Heart of gold. No need for all this wolf nonsense, young'un. All a nice little pig like you need do is ask." To Babe's (and Fly's) surprise, the sheep behaved and cooperated, although Fly wasn't reassured, and asked Babe about it on the way home:

Fly: "All right, how did you do it?"
Babe: "I asked them, and they did it. I just asked them nicely."
Fly: "We don't ask sheep, dear. We tell them what to do."
Babe: "But I did, Mom. They were really friendly. Maybe Rex might be a little more friendly if I had a talk with him."
Fly: "No, no, no. I think you better leave that to me."

Later that evening, when the sheep, who were considered stupid by all of the sheepdogs, were treated well by Babe, Rex became jealously enraged at Fly. He was upset that Babe used courtesy and politeness rather than bullying and was successful in herding the sheep. He blamed her for encouraging Babe to extend himself beyond his normal boundaries - it was a complete insult to the sheepdogs:

"You put these ideas into his head, Two-faced traitorous WRETCH!"

Rex viciously confronted and attacked his mate and injured her right front leg - and also bit Farmer Hoggett's hand when he intervened. The Narrator described the mood of the farm:

"A dark cloud had descended on the valley. And the pig felt that the troubles were all his fault. But he was certain that he knew how to put things right again."

Babe attempted to reconcile with Rex, but was unsuccessful. Hoggett speculated that Rex was jealous of the "wee pig." Rex was muzzled, sedated by a vet (David Webb) with a tranquilizer shot, and chained up to the dog house, rendering him "useless as a working dog." Farmer Hoggett and his wife declined having Rex neutered ("snip, snip") because he was a breeding dog.

Episode 6: "The Sheep Pig":

The Narrator summarized how Babe was promoted to the sheep-herding job, with Rex out of commission:

"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 was called up to calm Maa down so that Farmer Hoggett could administer some medicine to her.

Also, the Narrator described how Farmer Hoggett was considering entering Babe into the sheepdog trials:

"When 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."

From afar as they watched local sheepdog trials, Fly explained to Babe what the competition was all about - an obstacle course was set up for sheepdogs and their bosses for herding sheep. Points were awarded (or deducted) for quickness and mistakes: "Every time a sheep goes the wrong way, that's a mistake and you lose points."

With some heartache, Fly recalled that Rex once had the "makings of the greatest champion there ever was, but it wasn't to be." During winter rains and a flood in the valley, Rex (in his prime) attempted to rescue some of the stray sheep stranded by the rising high waters, but because of his reputation as being mean, they avoided his help and drowned after a long night of freezing cold temperatures: ("Too afraid and too stupid to save their own skins"). Rex also barely survived the ordeal, but recovered after two weeks' rest, although he had lost most of his hearing. A month later, he was unable to maintain his championship status at the challenging sheepdog trials:

"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 stupidity of sheep, Rex would've been the champion of champions."

Due to his disability, Rex turned bitter, cold-hearted, and threatening.

Meanwhile, Farmer Hoggett was still determined to try and provide further training for Babe in sheep-herding - with his eye on entering the trials. He set up his own obstacle training course for Babe's practice:

Narrator: "It was at that time that Mrs. Hoggett began to worry about her husband. But Farmer Hoggett knew that little ideas that tickled and nagged and refused to go away should never be ignored, for in them lie the seeds of destiny."

Episode 7: "A Tragic Day":

Early one day, Babe came upon the flock that was being savagely attacked by three feral dogs ("wolves"). The Narrator observed:

"Now the pig understood why the sheep called all dogs 'wolves'. And he was filled with a deep and terrible rage."

During the incident, Babe was able to scare them away, but the elderly ewe Maa had already been lethally assaulted. Maa died as a result of the marauding wild dogs. Babe was devastated, crying and wailing: "MAAA-AAAA! MAA-AAA-AA! MAAA-AAA-AA!" along with the other bleating sheep. Farmer Hoggett spotted blood on Babe's snout and suspected that Babe had killed Maa. He gave Babe an order: "Home, Pig." The Narrator explained the seriousness of the death, and how Fly dealt with it:

"Fly knew that there was only one fate for any creature that took the life of a sheep on Hoggett Farm. But Fly could never believe that Babe was a sheep killer, so she remained in the field to do something she'd never done - talk to the sheep."

She dared to talk to the sheep, and asked them who was responsible for the attack: "Tell me. Who killed the old one?...Was it wolf or Babe?" She only received confusing answers. At the same time, The Narrator described how Hoggett went to retrieve his double-barreled shotgun and called out: "Come, Pig.":

"Farmer Hoggett was carrying something in the crook of one arm. A kind of black, shiny tube....The pig had a vague memory that shiny tubes produced food, and guessed that some quite unexpected surprise would come out of two small round mouths."

Meanwhile, Fly was continuing to demand a clear explanation from the stupid sheep: "Babe! Wolf!", but then shouted for them to be "QUIET!" The Narrator described what happened next:

"Fly decided to speak very slowly, for it was a cold fact of nature that sheep were stupid, and no one would ever persuade her otherwise.

She decided to calmly and politely ask: "Please, please would you be so kind as to tell me what happened?...Please, tell me what happened this morning." Fly learned from the sheep that the attack had been instigated - not by Babe, but by stray feral dogs:

"Babe came! He saved us! The wolves killed Maa. But Babe drove the wolves away!"

Fly raced back to the farmhouse where Hoggett was aiming his shotgun at the innocent Babe. Fly's barking was able to distract the Farmer long enough, to have him abruptly change his mind, when he also heard from his wife after a phone call that other farm neighbors were also experiencing problems with feral dogs:

"That was the police on the telephone. Said there are wild dogs about. Apparently the Mitchells lost six lambs this morning."

Mrs. Hoggett noticed the shotgun and asked: "What are you doing with that gun?" Hoggett answered: "Oh, I - nothin." He removed the shotgun shells from the two barrels.

Episode 8: "Pig of Destiny":

Before departing to attend a 3-day weekend meeting at a Country Women's Association (CWA) National Conference, where she served as an Assistant General Secretary of the Northeast Region, Mrs. Hoggett instructed her husband on heating up a frozen rabbit casserole, and how to feed their spoiled cat Duchess:

"Now, for Duchess, it's liver in the morning, heart for the evening. Except for Fridays, when it's steak in the morning, and cooked liver at night. Warm it up in the 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, silly darling."

On the CW bus, she worried with her good friend Valda (Mary Acres) about how her husband, who had been acting slightly strange, would fare being left alone for three days.

During a heavy rainstorm, Farmer Hoggett allowed Babe and Fly into the house to keep dry and warm themselves by the fire, as he read the official rule book for Sheepdog Trials. The Narrator explained that Farmer Hoggett was still determined to officially enter his pig in the upcoming sheepdog trials:

"It had been a long time since Arthur Hoggett had had an animal in whose abilities he had so much faith. And with the National Grand Challenge Sheepdog Trials only two days away, he wasn't going to let the fact that his animal was a pig deter him. He had been worried, for he was a truthful man, that the heading might say 'Name of dog.' And then whatever he put would be a lie. But as it happened, luck, for the moment, was running with him."

During his wife's absence, and knowing Babe's unusual ability to herd sheep, Farmer Hoggett began to hand-write and complete the official Entry Form for the Sheepdog Trials. He felt lucky that the Entry Form category simply asked for the full name for: "Name of Entry" - and he filled in the blank with: "PIG." He used his new fax machine to send in his entry form.

In the meantime, the evil, jealous and malicious cat Duchess was punished with eviction for bloodily scratching Babe across his snout - and was temporarily sequestered outside on the porch (where she was yowling), while Babe and Fly enjoyed complete house privileges. Babe was bandaged up. At the same time, Ferdinand returned from his short, self-inflicted exile, and asked the animals in the barn: "So, ah... what's happening?"

The resentful and begrudging cat Duchess began to plot revenge against Babe. The Narrator warned of the impending revenge:

"There are many perfectly nice cats in the world, but every barrel has its bad apples, and it is well to heed the old adage, 'Beware the bad cat bearing a grudge'."

Duchess observed from outside as Fly and Babe rested by the warm fire while Farmer Hoggett ate his heated-up Friday night dinner and watched television. Suddenly, a lightning strike caused an abrupt power outage. When Duchess had the opportunity to enter the house, she cruelly told Babe that he was scoffed by the other animals for wanting to be a sheep-herding pig, and that humans mostly used pigs as a source for pork (bacon and ham):

"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 sheepdog business...Well, they say that you've forgotten that you're a pig. Isn't that silly? They even say that you don't know what pigs are for....You know, why pigs are here...

Well, the cow's here to be milked. The dogs are here to help the boss's husband with the sheep. And I'm here to be beautiful and affectionate to the boss...The fact is that pigs don't have a purpose. Just like ducks don't have a purpose...All right, for you own 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 that animals that don't seem to have 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....

Babe asked: "But, uh, I'm a sheep pig!" Duchess continued: "The boss's husband's 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 upset you, have I?"

In fear and complete distress, Babe asked Fly in the barn to verify what Duchess had just told him: "Are pigs for eatin'?... The cat told me. Pigs don't have a purpose except to be eaten by humans. Is it true?" To his shock, Fly confirmed that humans (and the "boss" himself, Farmer Hoggett) did indeed eat pigs: "It's true. For many pigs, it's true." Babe was dismayed by the betrayal, and realized that his mother and father had already been consumed, and that he was next: "So my mother and my father, and my brothers and my sisters, all - ." Fly answered: "Probably, dear."

Utterly depressed, devastated and afflicted, Babe ran away to be on his own and contemplate the truth about how even his own "Boss" consumed pigs. The next morning, Fly notified Rex about Babe's departure. The now-remorseful Rex (with Fly) led Farmer Hoggett to Babe, who was found shivering (with a cold) and hiding in a cemetery. Farmer Hoggett brought Babe home and responded to Babe's demoralized state and refusal to eat after being told that humans ate pigs. The vet arrived to offer emergency medical advice:

"He's got me stonkered, Arthur. But I can tell you this. If you don't get some fluids into him soon, you're gonna lose him."

Even Rex encouraged Babe to get well: "C'mon, son. Pull yourself together. The boss needs you," and began licking him. Farmer Hoggett began to feed Babe in his arms from a baby bottle, and sang the song: "If I Had Words":

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
If I had words To make a day for you
I'd give you a morning Golden and true
I would make this day Last for all time

Farmer Hoggett also danced a rustic, joyous jig to enliven Babe's spirits. He looked around to notice that all of the animals were staring at him through the window. Babe recovered. Due to the delay, Farmer Hoggett phoned the officials at the prestigious National Sheep Dog Association's Grand Challenge Championship competition, that he would be arriving late. He was allowed to be the last on the schedule to compete, but would have to arrive before 3:30 pm or he would be disqualified.

The National Grand Challenge Sheepdog Championships:

Farmer Hoggett arrived with Babe at the competition's Kingsmith Showground in time to compete. At first, Babe suddenly realized that he couldn't communicate with or control unfamiliar sheep - Suffolk Blackfaced sheep - "I've never met a sheep with such a strong, dark face." Fly's bossy approach worked better: "All right, blockheads! Pay attention over here! Now, you pay attention to what this pig has to say or I'll come in there and rip you to shreds!" - and the sheep responded immediately. Fly told Rex about her fears that Babe would fail: "If those sheep won't talk to Babe, the boss is going to look like an idiot." Rex had a plan and ran off, telling Fly that he would be back in time.

While out of town, Mrs. Hoggett was in her hotel room with her friends, watching the competition on TV ("the telly"). She became embarrassed and nearly fainted when she realized that her husband was competing with Babe, and vainly tried to disassociate herself from her husband and Babe.

Sheepdog Rex ran back to the farm and announced to the scared sheep: "Shut up, you morons! The little pig's in trouble." He explained that the sheep at the competition trials considered Babe a stranger and thus ignored him and wouldn't follow his commands: "The sheep at the trials won't talk to the little fellow. They won't listen. He doesn't know what to do." An Old Ewe (voice of Evelyn Krape) responded to the "wolf": "I asked you to wait here, Wolf. Do what you're told by an old sheep for a change. We'll see what we can do for you." Meanwhile, a power outage had slightly delayed the competition, to Farmer Hoggett's advantage. When the power came back on at the farmhouse, the animals (including the three mice) watched the TV broadcast of the competition through the window.

The Old Ewe offered: "We've got somethin' here that might be of use to our pig. Password! Password!" However, in exchange for the secret sheep password, Rex was forced to solemnly promise that he would treat the sheep better:

"Before we can do anythin' more, you'll be makin' us a solemn promise...to treat us civil! Yes, you gotta treat us nice-like....No biting!... Wolf must avoid bitin' us sheep at all costs!... But the most important of all, you must promise never ever to let this password we be about to give to be used against any sheep anywhere."

He was provided with the password:

"Baah Ram Ewe. Baah Ram Ewe. To your breed, your fleece, your clan be true! Sheep be true! Baah Ram Ewe."

Back at the competition, a discussion about the rules commenced in the Committee Room. Objections were raised by the Chairman of Judges (Marshall Napier) that Hoggett's pig was not eligible. Hoggett was called aside by the judges for using a pig to herd sheep: ("It's preposterous! We'd be the laughingstock of every sheepdog organization in every civilized country in the world!"). Hoggett objected that there was no official rule that would exclude a pig: "There's no rule..." The Chairman was aghast: "I mean, what will we have next year? A laughing hyena doing show-jumping, I suppose?" The head of the Sheepdog Trials Committee (Matthew Long) sternly reprimanded Hoggett, but then permitted him to proceed:

"Mr. Hoggett, the judges would like me to convey to you their disappointment that a man such as yourself, with a long and honorable association with the work of the National Sheepdog Association, should see fit to flout the historic conventions which have long ruled our sport. However we find there is no rule, as such, which would prevent your animal being entered. The committee has ruled that if you wish to proceed, there is nothing we can do to stop you."

When Hoggett appeared in public with Babe before the pretentious dog-owning crowd, he was soundly ridiculed, criticized, and laughed at. Rex returned onto the field of competition and relayed the password to Babe just in time. Hoggett gave the command: "Away to me, Pig," at the start of the round. With the password, Babe took immediate and total control of the six sheep. However, for a slight moment, the two TV commentators (John Doyle and Mike Harris) made fun of Hoggett: "Is he just going to stand there until his time runs out? Or could this be some sort of protest? Maybe we should line up an interview with the sheep pig? Or the sheep pig's trainer. He's a lively sort of fellow by the looks of things."

But then miraculously, the crowd was silenced and the commentators became speechless, as the victorious Babe politely controlled the sheep to precisely follow his commands. He led the six sheep to a circle, separated the males from the females, and led them in an orderly formation to a holding pen. Babe received a unanimous perfect score of 100 from all five judges.

In the rousing finale, amidst wild applause and cheers from the human audience in the grand-stands, the Narrator described the tremendous accomplishment:

"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...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."

The simple yet triumphant congratulatory words of kind-hearted, prideful owner Farmer Hoggett were similar to the standard command given to sheepdogs after the completion of a task:

"That'll do, pig, that'll do."

With an uplifted face, Babe looked up and sighed after hearing the simple compliment.