Babar: The Movie (1989) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Babar couldn't wait for the elephant army because the committee's slow procedures meant it would take at least three days to muster the forces. Driven by his ruling ethic and his desire to impress Celeste, he decided to act immediately rather than delay. He left his cousin Arthur in charge of the kingdom and ventured into the dangerous jungle on his own.

• babar
• celeste
• elephant army
• king

The elephants required every matter to be thoroughly examined by a formal committee before taking action. When Celeste reported the rhino attack, the chancellors scoffed at her warning and insisted on following proper procedure, which delayed the muster process significantly. This bureaucracy is what motivated Babar to take matters into his own hands.

• committee
• elephantland
• bureaucracy
• celeste

When Babar tried to intervene at the burning village, he was attacked by the rhinos and knocked unconscious. He regained consciousness by the next morning, likely having been left for dead during the chaos of the attack. This gave him time to recover enough to rescue Celeste from the well.

• babar
• rhinos
• attack
• village

Rataxes and his rhinoceros horde were building a rhino city, and they needed labor to complete the construction. The adult elephants from Celeste's village were enslaved to do the heavy work on this city-building project.

• rataxes
• rhinoceros
• slaves
• city

Zephir was a monkey who lived in the jungle and was familiar with the territory. He provided Babar and Celeste with the location of Rataxes' lair, acting as their guide to the rhinoceros stronghold.

• zephir
• monkey
• rataxes
• lair

Babar ordered Cornelius and Pompadour to distract Rataxes by continuing their committee procedures, which the rhinos found baffling and time-consuming. This stalled Rataxes' planned attack, buying the elephants time to build the giant elephant float that would ultimately defeat the rhino army.

• cornelius
• pompadour
• committee
• distraction

The elephants constructed a massive elephant float that was so large and intimidating that it frightened Rataxes and his soldiers. The sight of this giant elephant creation was enough to make the rhinos retreat, ending the invasion threat without further combat.

• elephant float
• rhinos
• attack
• victory

After Babar saves Elephantland from Rataxes' invasion, his friends congratulate him and learn the very first parade will be held that afternoon. The committee could not find any other name for it in time, so it became the Victory Parade. The older Babar explains this tradition has persisted ever since.

• victory parade
• tradition
• elephantland

During the rhino attack on Celeste's village, she was captured and thrown down the town well by the rhinos. She remained trapped there until Babar rescued her the next morning after regaining consciousness.

• celeste
• well
• captured
• rhinos

Babar and Celeste, along with Zephir, sneaked into the rhino camp disguised as rhino warriors. They asked about the enemy's attack plans by claiming to be on 'special detail.' Their disguise worked until they were eventually discovered and had to escape on a catapult.

• disguise
• rhino camp
• captured
• escape

On Babar's first day as king, he was asked to choose a name for Elephantland's Annual Parade. He promptly selected one, but Cornelius and Pompadour informed him that the matter had to be thoroughly examined by a formal committee before a final decision could be made.

• committee
• parade name
• king
• babar