Babe1995

[On the rainy day, Mrs. Hoggett leaves for the Country Women's Association trip, she is a storm of words. She has all kinds of instructions for Mr. Hoggett, mostly about what to feed himself and what to feed all the animals on the farm]

Mrs. Esme Cordelia Hoggett:
Now, it's all very simple. Just half an hour at 350 degrees. I've given you rabbit casserole on Friday. Now, for Duchess, it's liver in the morning, heart for the evening. Except for Fridays, if it's steak in the morning and the cooked liver at night. Warm it up in a 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, the silly darling. [horn honks] That'll be the bus. Oh! Farewell.

Farmer Hoggett:
Have a nice time. Farewell.

Mrs. Esme Cordelia Hoggett:
Hello, everyone!

[Hoggett carries her suitcase and listens without saying a word. He waves as she rides off on the minibus. Mrs. Hoggett is a little concerned about what her husband will do all alone]

Mrs. Esme Cordelia Hoggett:
Oh, dearie me, Valda. I know I have to be at the National Conference. I am the Assistant General Secretary of the Northeast Region after all, but I do worry about leaving that man alone.

Valda:
Yet acting a bit strange?

Mrs. Esme Cordelia Hoggett:
Just silly facts. Odd little facts only a wife would notice. Yet, I suppose he can't get up to too much mischief in just three days, can he?

Valda:
Of course not.

[She may have been dismayed indeed to see the farmer let Babe into the house to rest past the fire. But she can't have been more upset than Duchess the cat]

Babe:
Oh. Nice evening. Disgrace about the weather. Nasty cough!

[Not since Rex has Arthur Hoggett has an animal in whose abilities he has so much faith. With the National Grand Challenge Sheepdog Trials only two days left, he isn't going to let that his animal is a pig stand in his road]

[Then he takes out his rule book and reads it from cover-to-cover. Then he fills out an entry form. Ever a truthful man, Hoggett has concerned that the form may say "Name of Dog". In which case, whatever he wrote will be a lie. But luck is with him. For the form merely says "Name of Entry". Hoggett writes pigs. Then he uses the wondrous Christmas gift from his daughter and faxes the form to the contest]

Babe:
It's alright. Really! I'm just, well...bless you.

[As soon as Babe settles into a peaceful nap, Duchess slinks up and scratches him on the snout. Babe awakens to a hissing, bristling enemy poised to attack again. But Hoggett steps between them]

Farmer Hoggett:
Enough! [Then he tosses the cat out into the pouring rain]