Episode
The Animals of Farthing Wood: A Joke Backfires
Overview
Its spring and Vixen finally gives birth to her cubs. The animals all gather to congratulate the new parents and to help decide on names for the four cubs. The poachers still plague all the animals in the park but when the warden returns they believe their troubles to be over. However the poachers continue to hunt in the park while the warden remains ignorant to their nightly activities. Fox sets into motion a plan to get rid of the poachers by bringing them to the attention of the warden. Wandering round in the open and calling out they finally spot him and give chase - straight to the warden's cottage. Hearing gunshots the warden runs out and catches the poachers in the act, putting a stop to their hunting for good.
Details
- Series
- The Animals of Farthing Wood
- Season
- Season 2
- Episode
- Episode 5
- Air date
- 1994-02-04
- Runtime
- 25 min
Episode context
A Joke Backfires is Episode 5 in Series 2 of The Animals of Farthing Wood. It aired on 1994-02-04. The runtime is 25 min.
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Episode 4: New Enemies
Poachers enter the Park and kill some of the Deer. The Farthing Wood animals do what they can to help and set up a watch to act as an early warning system. Fox hatches a plan to rid the Park of the hunters but Scarface plots to turn his plan against him.
Episode 6: Home Is Where The Heart Is
The cubs Bold, Charmer, Dreamer and Friendly are being taught the ways of the world by their parents Fox and Vixen. However while Fox is away Scarface spies on the cubs while Vixen is teaching them to hunt. Weasel spots him and bravely informs Vixen, scaring him off by singing. However Vixen doesn't believe her and upsets Weasel. Fox later sniffs the area and believes Weasel may have been telling the truth. Back at his den Scarface's jealously tells Lady Blue that Vixen's cubs are better than hers. After this Lady Blue decides to see the cubs for herself and is confronted by Vixen. Meanwhile Toad has awoken from hibernation confused and his homing instincts drawing him back to Farthing Wood. However he is caught by a young boy and put into a jar. He becomes fascinated with a female Toad also trapped in a jar and so comes out of his trance. Luckily for them Whistler catches the two occupied jars, dropping one and freeing the female Toad and taking Toad to the warden's cottage to be
More episodes from this season
Episode 3: Survival
With food scarce the animals are hungry and the meat eaters of the group are having difficulty hunting because they fear accidentally hunting one of their friends. While the smaller animals blame Fox for the recent death of Mrs Vole, Badger is released from the Warden's cottage.
Episode 7: The Feud Begins
The animals grieve when Dreamer, Fox and Vixen's cub is found dead. Although it cannot be certain as to the cause of death, Fox believes that Scarface is to blame. The impulsive Bold slips away and wanders into Scarface's land, where he meets Ranger, Scarface's son and tries to become friends. Scarface spots them and imprisons Bold in his earth. Fox and Friendly enter Scarface's land in an attempt to rescue Bold, but soon become surrounded by blue foxes. Fox manages to convince Scarface to allow Friendly to return home. Meanwhile Bold was able to cunningly escape just as his father and brother trespassed onto the blue foxes' territory. Weasel informs the White Stag about the situation and he steps in to prevent any feuding. Fox is allowed to return to Farthing land, only to find Bold was already there. Fox is infuriated with him and tells him that he will remain where Fox can watch him at all times and is not to wander off. Bold can not take it and feels the park isn't big enoug
Episode 2: Winter
A harsh winter arrives and the Farthing animals are finding food scarce, especially because their recent arrival left them unable to stock food. Whistler and Speedy spare some of their fish for the meat-eaters, but the animals soon become sick of the same diet. While out hunting Fox and Vixen meet Scarface and his mate Lady Blue. Vixen tries to start a conversation with them but Scarface warns her to stay on her own land. Meanwhile Badger slips in the heavy snow while out walking and is injured. The Park Warden finds him and takes him back to his home to treat him. The other animals worry for their missing friend. Badger manages to persuade the Warden's cat to inform the others that he is safe. While the cat is telling Mole about Badger being with her at his cottage, Kestrel spots them and thinks Mole is in danger. She dives on the cat, injuring her and causing her to fall to the ground in pain.
Episode 8: Like Father, Like Son
Bold has left White Deer Park and is enjoying his new independent life. He first meets Crow then a friendly female Badger called Shadow when he unintentionally enters her den. He catches a pheasant for her and they become friends. She warns him about the gamekeeper, which explains the abundance of pheasants and a lack of foxes. Shadow gets caught in a trap meant for him and stays to release her when the human is on his way. However as he chews through the wire it springs back, releasing her but catches him in the eye. Later when hunting for pheasants, unable to see out of his injured eye he does not notice the farmer until it is too late and Bold is shot. Meanwhile back in White Deer Park, Charmer the remaining female cub of Fox and Vixen meets and befriends Ranger, Scarface's son. Scarface kills Mrs Hare and so Mr Hare moves his family back onto Farthing land. The animals plot to kill Scarface by stealth the way he probably did to kill Dreamer. They elect Adder but make the mistake
Episode 1: A Heroes Welcome
The Farthing animals have finally completed their long journey to White Deer Park.They are welcomed by many of the animals like Speedy the Heron (who mates Whistler), Measly the Weasel (who mates Weasel) and Frogs named The Edible Frogs. Some are not so pleased to see them. The silver fox Scarface does not want the new arrivals to be in the park and feels that they are trespassing on his territory. With the journey over the Oath is no longer needed. However the Farthing animals find it difficult to revert back to their old ways before they took the Oath and so continue to uphold it and remain friends. Fox speaks to the Great Stag and together they suggest an area of the park to be allocated for the Farthing creatures to live together how they wish.
Episode 9: Narrow Escapes
Bold is helpless and starving due to his gunshot wound but luckily for him Crow agrees to help him and fetches Shadow. She tends to him and stays with him until he feels stronger. But while she goes out hunting he slips away not wanting to be dependent on anyone. He heads towards a farmhouse where Shadow catches up to him. She understands his need to be independent and live his own life and tells him to be careful. He catches a chicken but alerts the farmer and his dog who give chase. Bold dashes down a nearby hole but the farmer tries to dig him out. Falling debris lands on Bold and knocks him unconscious, making the farmer believe that he is dead. Crow tells him that he is extremely lucky and suggests that if he still wants to feed off humans to try the town. The rest of the Farthing Animals are still worried about Scarface. Adder gets cornered by him and hides down a hole but not before he tears her tail. The animals decide to punish the Weasels and hold a trial for them. Fox sets
Episode 10: Shadows
Bold arrives in the town with Crow and they continue to keep their bargain of feeding one another. While wandering the town for food Bold comes across a female fox but she doesn't seem interested. The following night he sees her again and they hunt together and she, Whisper invites him back to her earth. However he can't break his agreement with Crow so goes back to him. Crow frees him from his agreement so that Bold can be free to see Whisper and says that if they need each other, to leave food under the bush. Bold goes back with Whisper to her earth in the Church grounds and tells her his story when she thinks that he is old. She is honoured to know him, the son of the famous, heroic Farthing fox. Meanwhile Friendly finds out that his sister Charmer is seeing Ranger and informs his parents. Fox is not happy about it and agrees to meet him. Ranger says that in a fight between the Blue foxes and the Farthing Wood animals he won't fight for any side. A sad event leaves the animals gri
Episode 11: A Time Of Reckoning
Now sharing a den, Bold and Whisper continue to grow closer. With the help of Whisper, Crow - and a St. Bernards dog Rollo whom he befriends, Bold is now finding the struggle for survival less and less of a challenge. But his pride has taken a blow - he can't stand having to rely on others all the time, and when Whisper reveals that she is with cub, and wants him to guide her back to White Deer Park, Bold's self-confidence takes another blow: she only chose him for a mate due to his lineage. Whisper denies this, but the journey takes its toll on Bold and he grows steadily weaker. Meanwhile, back in White Deer Park, the feud comes to a head when Vixen and Lady Blue become involved in a vicious fight.
Episode 12: Blood Is Thicker Than Water
Infuriated by Lady Blue's wounds following her fight with Vixen, Scarface leads an attack on the Farthing Wood animals. Fortunately, Hare manages to warn Fox and gather the animals in time. Ranger meanwhile attempts to aid the Farthing Wood animals but, in doing so unintentionally leads Scarface to their whereabouts. The attack culminates in a huge battle between Fox and Scarface which is ended when the Warden turns up, but not before Scarface is severely injured. Elsewhere, Adder decides its time to exact her plan of vengeance upon Scarface.
Episode 13: Reconciliation
The Farthing Wood animals celebrate in the lieu of Fox's defeat of Scarface - but Scarface makes a shocking return and, as retribution kills Mrs Rabbit. On his way home however, Adder finally puts an end to the tyrant, biting him as he drinks from the stream. Scarface's death marks an end of the feud - but Fox and his family have no time for celebration. Whisper has arrived at White Deer Park - but without Bold, Bold having hidden himself away, his pride refusing to let him return to the park. Fox and Vixen manage to find their son just in time to say one last goodbye before he dies, Bold at last content with his father's approval. Bold's death triggering an epiphany, Fox at last gives his blessing to Ranger and Charmer's union.