After years of being passed around, an orphaned pig named Babe finds himself as a prize at a county fair in a “guess the weight” contest. It’s an ordinary event for most, but for Babe, it marks the start of an extraordinary journey. He is won by Arthur Hoggett, a quiet and unassuming farmer with a hidden sense of curiosity. Babe is taken to Hoggett’s picturesque farm, where he is greeted by a bustling cast of animals. Among them is Fly, a warm and nurturing Border Collie, her stern and proud mate Rex, and their rambunctious puppies. Babe, unfamiliar with the ways of farm life, finds solace in Fly’s motherly care, but life on the farm is far from simple.
One of Babe’s first encounters is with Ferdinand, an eccentric and mischievous duck who has an unusual way of securing his place on the farm—by crowing like a rooster at sunrise. Ferdinand believes that as long as he seems useful, he won’t end up on the dinner table. But the arrival of an alarm clock threatens his scheme. In desperation, Ferdinand ropes Babe into a chaotic plan to remove the clock. The mission ends disastrously when they wake Duchess, the Hoggetts’ sharp-tongued cat, and wreak havoc in the farmhouse. Rex, unimpressed by Babe’s antics, sternly warns him to stay out of trouble, especially with Ferdinand.
As time passes, Babe’s bond with Fly deepens. When Fly’s puppies are sold, Babe, seeing her heartbreak, offers himself as her surrogate child. Meanwhile, Christmas arrives, and the farm bustles with the Hoggetts’ visiting relatives. Esme Hoggett, Arthur’s no-nonsense wife, suggests Babe as the centerpiece for Christmas dinner. But Arthur, seeing something special in the pig, decides against it, mentioning instead that Babe might be prize-worthy at the next county fair. Ferdinand’s love interest, Rosanna the duck, is not so lucky, becoming the unfortunate star of the Christmas feast. Stricken by grief and fear, Ferdinand flees the farm, leaving Babe to ponder the harsh realities of farm life.
Babe’s instincts soon prove invaluable. One night, he stumbles upon a pair of sheep rustlers attempting to steal the flock. Acting swiftly, Babe alerts Fly and the farmer, thwarting the thieves. Arthur, impressed by Babe’s resourcefulness, begins to see the pig in a new light. Testing Babe’s capabilities further, he brings him to the fields to herd sheep. With the gentle encouragement of Maa, an elderly ewe, Babe takes an unconventional approach. Instead of barking commands, he speaks to the sheep kindly, winning their cooperation. His methods, however, do not sit well with Rex, who sees Babe’s success as an affront to traditional sheepdog values. When Fly defends Babe, Rex’s frustration boils over, resulting in a violent altercation that injures both Fly and Arthur. Rex is chained and sedated, leaving Babe to take on the responsibilities of herding.
Tragedy strikes the farm when a pack of feral dogs attacks the sheep, leaving Maa mortally wounded. Babe valiantly chases the attackers away, but Arthur, finding Babe near Maa’s lifeless body, assumes the worst. He prepares to shoot the pig, but Fly intervenes, uncovering the truth from the other sheep and stopping Arthur just in time. The incident leaves the farm on edge, but Arthur’s faith in Babe remains steadfast.
When Esme leaves for a trip, Arthur quietly enrolls Babe in a local sheep herding competition, a decision met with skepticism by nearly everyone. The night before the event, Arthur allows Babe and Fly into the house due to a heavy rainstorm. Duchess, still bitter over past grievances, seizes an opportunity for revenge. She coldly informs Babe of the grim fate awaiting most pigs: the dinner table. Devastated by this revelation, Babe runs away, finding refuge in a lonely cemetery. Rex tracks him down and brings him home, but Babe, shattered by the truth, refuses to eat. Arthur, determined to restore Babe’s spirit, does something entirely out of character—he dances a jig and sings “If I Had Words,” coaxing Babe back from the brink of despair.
The competition day arrives, and the sight of a pig in the herding arena draws laughter and ridicule from the crowd and judges. As Babe attempts to communicate with the sheep, they ignore him, seeing no reason to trust a pig. Meanwhile, Rex, driven by his own redemption, races back to the farm to seek the sheep’s guidance. Promising to treat them with respect from now on, he learns a secret password and returns just in time to deliver it to Babe.
Armed with this newfound knowledge, Babe approaches the sheep again. This time, they listen. The crowd watches in stunned silence as Babe flawlessly herds the flock, executing commands with precision and grace. The judges, unable to find fault, award him a perfect score. Amid the applause and disbelief, Arthur Hoggett kneels beside his pig, his face calm and proud. With a simple yet profound statement, he affirms the bond between them: “That’ll do, Pig. That’ll do.”
In that moment, Babe’s journey comes full circle—a testament to the power of kindness, determination, and the courage to defy expectations. On a farm where tradition once reigned supreme, a pig proved that sometimes, breaking the rules can lead to extraordinary results.
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