Babe (1995) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Arthur Hoggett spares Babe because after seeing him alert the family to sheep rustlers on Christmas Day, he recognizes Babe's value as a useful animal. When Hoggett mentions that Babe might win a prize ham at the next county fair, the family chooses a duck instead, giving Babe a reprieve.

• arthur hoggett
• christmas dinner
• babe saved
• piglet fate

Babe learns to herd sheep through practice and encouragement. When Arthur Hoggett tests his abilities, Babe initially struggles, but Maa, an elderly ewe, instructs the other sheep to cooperate with him. With Maa's guidance, the sheep respond to Babe's commands, allowing him to successfully herd them.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Babe demonstrates an ability to sort hens by color, which impresses Hoggett enough to test him with sheep.

• babe herding
• sheep training
• maa ewe
• learn sheepdog

Rex sees sheep herding as the exclusive domain of dogs, particularly border collies like himself. When Babe successfully demonstrates herding ability, Rex perceives it as an insult to his role and the traditions of the farm. This leads to a fierce confrontation with Fly, who defends Babe, and eventually to a fight with Hoggett.

Foreshadowing: Rex had earlier warned Babe to stay away from Ferdinand, establishing his rigid attitude about proper animal roles.

• rex border collie
• dog vs pig
• sheep herding role
• farm hierarchy

When Hoggett arrives at the field and finds Maa mortally wounded with Babe standing over her, he mistakenly believes Babe attacked and killed her. The situation appears damning because Babe was supposed to be protecting the sheep, and the evidence suggests otherwise at first glance.

• maa death
• hoggett blames babe
• sheep attack
• misunderstanding

Fly intervenes by communicating with the sheep directly, something dogs don't typically do. Through this conversation, she discovers that feral dogs were responsible for the attack, not Babe. She convinces Hoggett that the police would know these aren't his dogs, preventing him from shooting Babe.

• fly saves babe
• pig shooting
• sheep truth
• dog communication

After Duchess reveals that humans eat pigs, Babe becomes terrified for his life and runs away in despair. He goes to a cemetery, believing that if he stays there among dead relatives of the Hoggetts, he might remain safe. This reflects his fear that his ultimate fate is to become Christmas dinner or provide ham.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, the Christmas dilemma established that pigs on farms can become food.

• babe runs away
• cemetery
• pigs eaten
• fear death

Hoggett brings Babe back to health by offering him a drink from a baby bottle while singing "If I Had Words" and dancing a jig. This loving, nurturing gesture demonstrates genuine affection and convinces Babe that Hoggett truly cares about him, restoring his will to live.

• hoggett sings
• baby bottle
• babe eats
• pig emotional moment

The sheep share a secret password with Rex that allows Babe to command them. This password represents a promise from Babe to treat the sheep better and respect them. Rex relays this information to Babe right before the competition, enabling Babe to successfully communicate with the sheep and win the contest.

Foreshadowing: Maa had previously taught the sheep to listen to Babe, establishing their connection.

• secret password
• sheep command
• rex message
• competition win

Despite the skepticism of others, Hoggett believes in Babe's unique abilities and sees potential in him that others overlook. With his wife Esme away, Hoggett takes the risk of entering Babe in the competition, going against tradition but trusting in what he has witnessed Babe accomplish on the farm.

Foreshadowing: Hoggett had already tested Babe's herding skills and seen him successfully work with the sheep.

• hoggett enters competition
• pig sheepdog contest
• believe in babe

At the competition, Babe initially struggles because the sheep don't recognize him. However, after receiving the secret password from Rex, Babe successfully commands the sheep, impressing the crowd and judges with his unusual herding style. He wins the highest honor, and Hoggett famously says, "That'll do, Pig. That'll do," celebrating Babe's achievement.

• babe wins competition
• thatll do pig
• sheep herding contest
• champion

Ferdinand is terrified of being eaten and tries to appear useful to avoid that fate. Each morning, the alarm clock signals which animal will be selected for dinner, so Ferdinand convinces Babe to help jam the clock, hoping to appear indispensable to the farm.

• ferdinand duck
• alarm clock
• avoid dinner
• farm animal fate

Even though Rex had previously been hostile toward Babe, both Fly and Rex rally to help when Babe disappears. They search the farm together and eventually locate him in a cemetery, demonstrating that despite their earlier conflicts, the farm animals work together as a community when one of their own is in danger.

• fly rex find babe
• farm animal unity
• babe missing search