12. As Farmer Hoggett prepares to take Babe to compete in a sheep field trial, Babe is devastated to learn that people eat pigs, and loses his faith in his family. How does he discover this information, which leads to him running away?
From Quiz Babe
Answer:
Duchess the cat tells him out of spite.
Duchess and Babe have never been close friends, and when he tries to talk to her she scratches him. This leads to her being exiled to spend the evening on the porch, while Babe rests in front of the fire. She sneaks back in and gains her revenge by telling him about the usual relationship between people and pigs. When Babe asks Fly whether that is true, she confirms it. He is so distressed that he runs off, and is eventually found in, and retrieved from, a nearby graveyard. After much coaxing, Farmer Hoggett eventually convinces Babe that theirs is a special relationship, and that he has nothing to fear.