“When Babe, the little orphaned piglet, is won at a fair by Farmer Hogget, he is adopted by Fly, the kind-hearted sheep-dog. Babe is determined to learn everything he can from Fly. He knows he can’t be a sheep-dog. But maybe, just maybe, he might be a sheep-pig.”
“In the farmyard, Fly the black and white collie was beginning the training of her four puppies. For some time now they had shown an instinctive interest in anything that moved, driving it away or bringing it back, turning it to left or right, in fact herding it...She set them to work on Mrs Hogget’s ducks.”
“All the long summer evening Babe has followed Fly about the yard and buildings, aimlessly, it seemed to the watching farmer, though of course this was not the case. It was in fact a conducted tour. Fly knew that if this foster-child was to be allowed his freedom and the constant reassurance of her company for which he obviously craved, he must quickly learn (and patently he was a quick learner) his way about the place; and that he must be taught, as her puppies had been taught, how to behave like a good dog.”
“You do as I do, ” said Fly, “and you’ll be all rights.” She thought or a moment. “There is one thing though, Babe, ” she said, and she looked across at the back door of the farmhouse, “if I go in there, you stay outside and wait for me, understand?” ‘Aren’t pigs allowed in there?” asked Babe. “Not live ones,” said one of the puppies, but he said it under his breath.