Babe, The Sheep-Pig recap

Farmer Hogget wins a piglet at a fair and brings him home, where the sheepdog Fly adopts him and calls him Babe. Babe admires Fly's work but discovers that sheep obey dogs mainly from fear. By addressing the flock courteously and listening to the old ewe Maa, he learns to herd through cooperation. Hogget recognizes Babe's talent after the pig helps protect the sheep and proves he can guide them. When stray dogs attack the flock and kill Maa, Hogget briefly suspects Babe, but Fly finds evidence that clears him. The farmer then enters the pig in a sheepdog trial. The strange sight draws ridicule, and the unfamiliar trial sheep will not initially respond. With help from Fly and a password shared among sheep, Babe wins their trust, guides them flawlessly through the course, and earns a perfect score. His achievement makes him Hogget's valued working partner and saves him from his expected fate as food.

At a village fair, Farmer Hogget correctly guesses the weight of a piglet and takes him home as the prize. Mrs Hogget assumes the animal will eventually be eaten, but the small newcomer is lonely and frightened in the barn. Fly, the farm's sheepdog, comforts him and lets him sleep with her puppies. She calls him Babe and begins teaching him about the farm. Babe watches Fly help Hogget move the flock and becomes fascinated by the purpose and order of the work. His attachment to Fly gives him the ambition to act like a sheepdog even though no one expects a pig to fill that role.

Babe tries working with the sheep and discovers that imitation alone is not enough. Dogs usually command the flock through threats, but Babe speaks politely and asks for cooperation. Maa, an old ewe, responds to his courtesy and explains the sheep's fear and resentment of dogs. With her help, Babe learns that trust allows him to guide the flock calmly and precisely. Farmer Hogget observes the pig's surprising control and begins quietly training him. Babe also proves his value by raising an alarm when the sheep are in danger, strengthening Hogget's belief that the pig can be a genuine working animal rather than merely an odd pet.

After dogs attack the flock and Maa is killed, Farmer Hogget finds Babe near the injured and dead sheep and believes for a moment that the pig may be responsible. Fly investigates and brings back evidence that roaming dogs made the attack, clearing Babe before Hogget acts on his mistake. The loss deepens Babe's concern for the sheep. Convinced by everything he has seen, Hogget decides to enter Babe in a sheepdog trial. Mrs Hogget and others treat the idea as absurd, but the farmer persists and prepares Babe for the contest.

Farmer Hogget arrives at the sheepdog trials with Babe, causing amusement and confusion among officials and spectators. The rules do not expressly prevent a pig from entering, so Babe is allowed onto the course. The trial sheep do not know him and initially ignore his courteous requests. Fly obtains the private password by which sheep identify a trustworthy friend and passes it to Babe. Once he uses it, the flock cooperates, and he guides them through every required movement without force or panic. Babe finishes with a perfect score. The crowd's laughter gives way to acclaim, and Hogget quietly acknowledges the pig's achievement. Babe has demonstrated that his respectful method works even with strangers and has secured his future as Hogget's sheep-pig.

Farmer Hogget enters Babe in the sheepdog trials despite the disbelief his decision causes. In the final test, the unfamiliar sheep initially refuse to move for a pig. Fly learns the sheep's traditional password from the flock at home and passes it to Babe, allowing him to establish trust with the trial flock. Once they recognize that he approaches them respectfully, the sheep follow his requests through the course. Babe completes the work with extraordinary precision and receives the highest possible score. The spectators' mockery turns to astonishment and applause, while Hogget accepts the result with his usual restraint. Babe has secured his place as a working member of the farm rather than as an animal being raised for the table, and the partnership between the farmer and his sheep-pig is publicly confirmed.