The Night the Animals Talked facts for kids

The Night the Animals Talked is a special animated TV show for kids. It's a Christmas story that first aired on ABC on December 9, 1970. This show was repeated several times in the 1970s. It was made by teams from both America and Italy. The story is based on an old legend. This legend says that all animals could talk at midnight on the night Jesus was born.

The Story of the Animals Talking

This TV special tells an old Norwegian holiday story. It begins in a simple stable where animals are sleeping. Suddenly, bright light from the Star of Bethlehem shines down. The animals wake up and are surprised. They discover they can now talk to each other!

At first, the animals use their new voices to argue. They try to show who is better than whom. They are especially mean to two hogs who are not allowed inside the stable. An ox, who seems to be the leader, gets angry. He says they are acting just like humans.

The animals soon realize they were wrong. They try to make things right. Then, a donkey arrives carrying Mary. The donkey shares that Mary and Joseph desperately need a place to stay.

Animals Learn to Share

At first, the animals don't want the humans in their stable. They look down on people and their behavior. But then, the animals change their minds. They let Mary and Joseph come into the stable for the night.

That night, Jesus is born. The animals are filled with love for each other. Even the hogs are allowed into the stable for the first time to see the baby. The animals then understand something important. They realize they were given the gift of speech to tell the world about this "miracle"—the birth of Christ.

They run through Bethlehem to share the news. But as they run, each animal slowly loses their ability to speak. They return to the stable in silence. However, they now have new respect and love for each other. The ox is the last one to lose his speech. He is left wondering if people will ever truly understand the amazing gift they have been given.

How the Show Was Made

The Night the Animals Talked was created by Gamma Film in Milan, Italy. This company was run by Gino Gavioli and Roberto Gavioli. The show was directed by Shamus Culhane, a very experienced animation director.

The idea for the story came from a children's record. This record was made by MGM Records and written by Peter Fernandez. He was a writer and also did voice acting. You might find unofficial copies of this film. This is because it was never officially released for sale on VHS or DVD.

Important Messages in the Story

This special TV show explores many important ideas. It looks at how people treat each other. For example, it touches on ideas like treating groups of people unfairly. It also shows how being too proud can cause problems.

The way the animals act shows problems that humans often have. But we see these problems from the animals' point of view. This is similar to the famous book Animal Farm by George Orwell.

Music in the Special

The show features songs by a well-known team. Sammy Cahn wrote the lyrics, and Jule Styne wrote the music. Some of their songs from the special include "A Parable" and "The Greatest Miracle of All." These songs are not as famous as some of their other works.

The Show's Lasting Impact

The Night the Animals Talked has become popular again. This is mainly because unofficial copies of the show have been shared. As mentioned, the show was never officially sold on VHS or DVD. However, in 1975, McGraw-Hill released a special film version. This version was made for schools to use for educational purposes.