Like Father, Like Son

"Like Father, Like Son"
A dying Bounder drags himself away after being bitten by Adder.
Episode Information
Series	2
Episode no.	8 (21 overall)
UK airdate	25 February 1994
Written by	Valerie Georgeson
Episode Chronology
Preceded by	The Feud Begins
Succeeded by	Narrow Escapes

Like Father, Like Son is the eighth episode of the second series of The Animals of Farthing Wood. It was originally broadcast in the UK on 25 February 1994.

Plot

Bold leaves White Deer Park, and heads out onto the down land, where he meets a Crow. Crow is surprised that Bold is out in the daytime: "Is he not afraid of the humans?". Bold continues on his way and catches himself a pheasant. He rests in a badger's set and meets Shadow, a young badger, when she returns home. Shadow warns Bold that the human, who lives in a cottage nearby, kills foxes as he wants the pheasants for himself. Bold sees the human's cottage. The dead bodies of many foxes and weasels hang over the fence, but Bold refuses to be afraid. Little does he know that the human has laid a trap in the field.

Back in White Deer Park, Scarface kills Mrs Hare, and a devastated Hare brings his family back to live on Farthing land. Fox realizes he must do something about Scarface, but does not want to start a war. Owl suggests killing Scarface by stealth, and the animals decide that it is a job for Adder. Fox gives Weasel and Measley the job of passing the message onto Adder, but the weasels argue over the message, and Adder ends up thinking that Fox wants her to kill any blue fox. Meanwhile, Charmer is drinking from the stream, where she meets Ranger for the first time. They are instantly attracted to each other, and Ranger tries to persuade Charmer that they can be friends.

Outside the park, Bold finds Shadow trapped in the human's trap. He releases her just before the human arrives, but badly gashes his eye in the process, when the trap springs open in his face. After catching Shadow a pheasant, Bold says goodbye and continues on his way. He walks straight into a pheasant shoot, but does not see the hunter with his gun, until it is too late. Running for safety, Bold is shot.

Back in the park, Ranger's older brother, Bounder, takes over patrol duty. Bounder is bitten by Adder and dies, and Scarface and Lady Blue hear Bounder's screams. His death is witnessed by Whistler, who flies to tell Fox that Adder has killed the wrong fox. Charmer is relieved to realize it was not Ranger, but Fox is furious. Vixen and Badger suggest it may be down to the younger generation to sort things out, and Fox turns on Badger. "You don't know what you're talking about, you old codger". Offended, Badger storms off home. Vixen wonders how life is treating their poor Bold. "Poor Bold!" retorts Fox, "he deserves whatever he gets!".

Far from the park, with a badly wounded leg, Bold limps to find shelter.

Notes

• This episode marks the first appearance of Crow and Shadow, the only named appearance and death of Bounder (who may have appeared as an unnamed character in previous episodes), and the death of Mrs Hare.
• When Scarface says "It's your watch!" he manages to do it without moving his mouth.