"The Cave of Many Voices" is the first episode of the animated children's television series, The Land Before Time (TV Series). It originally aired on January 5th, 2007 in Canada alongside the second episode, "The Mysterious Tooth Crisis" and officially premiered in the United States on March 5th. The plot involves the main characters seeking a new cave for Chomper and Ruby to live in, after their current cave begins leaking, while a subplot involves Ruby teaching Ducky how to act and feel bigger than she is.
Plot[]
A torrential downpour of Sky Water (rain) causes a leakage in the cave where Chomper and Ruby reside. In frustration, Chomper bites off the Stone Teeth which are the source of the leaks, only worsening the problem. The next day, the children explore the Secret Caverns together, in hopes of finding a new cave for Chomper and Ruby. While examining the caves, they accidentally create an opening into the Mysterious Beyond that is discovered by Red Claw and his Fast Biter minions, Screech and Thud. The Fast Biters begin to try and open up the hole, but Red Claw gets them to move, and digs some of it open himself, and lets them do the work.
Meanwhile, Ducky admires Ruby's stature and maturity, and implores for her to teach her how to feel and behave "big", in hopes that others will take her more seriously once she acquires these skills. She begins to receive the desired results, at first, although the others begin to get annoyed with her "big talk" after a while.
On their second spelunking bout, Chomper finds a suitable cave, lacking Stone Teeth, but the children soon discover the Sharpteeth's presence, and flee. They escape Red Claw, and later Thud and Screech, by going into more cramped areas. Littlefoot suggests that they use the Cave of Many Voices, an echoing cave which they had played in the last time, to make themselves sound larger and more fierce, and also to give the impression that there are many more of them there. Afterwards, Red Claw finds them again. While cornered by the Sharpteeth, Ducky manages to sneak past them to the Cave of Many Voices, due to her small size, and distracts them by shouting loud nonsense. The others quietly join up with her while Red Claw and the Fast Biters glance around in confusion, before the fast biters run away. Chomper then calls out to them in Sharptooth language that an enormous, angry herd is on its way, and that they should evacuate the caverns. Red Claw doesn't buy it, until Ducky uses her loud leaf eater voice, and finally scares Red Claw away with a massive "YEP YEP YEP!!!!!". The children then seal up the entrance from the Mysterious Beyond, and rejoice in having found Chomper and Ruby a new cave. Ducky comes to realize that it is alright to feel and act big, but that being physically small also has advantages.
Voice Actors[]
This episode marks the first time Max Burkholder voiced Chomper, just as his previous voice actor, Cannon Young didn't resume his part again, due to his aging. Meghan Strange and Rob Paulsen voice the new characters Ruby and Thud, while Pete Sepenuk voices both Screech and Red Claw.
- Cody Arens as Littlefoot
- Jeff Bennett as Petrie
- Aria Noelle Curzon as Ducky
- Anndi McAfee as Cera
- Rob Paulsen as Spike/Thud
- Meghan Strange as Ruby
- Max Burkholder as Chomper
- Pete Sepenuk as Red Claw/Screech
Reception[]
Ratings []
The Cave of Many Voices has a current score of 9.6/10 at TV.com, based on ten votes.
Cultural Influence[]
Merchandise[]
The Cave of Many Voices was released in the United States on August 20th, 2007 in the "Amazing Adventures!" DVD, along with "The Canyon of Shiny Stones", "The Meadow of Jumping Waters", and "The Spooky Nighttime Adventure". A version of this DVD was also released in Quebec, Canada, in French on July 2nd, 2008 under the name "Les Incroyables Aventures!" ("The Incredible Adventures!").
It was released in German on the DVD "Freundschaft, Spass und Abenteuer" ("Friendship, Fun and Adventure") along with The Mysterious Tooth Crisis on December 11th, 2008. "Freundschaft, Spass und Abenteuer" was also released as CD and cassette radio dramas on September 26th, 2008, and an audiobook download on December 7th, 2011. It was released on a DVD 3 pack with the DVDs "Grosser Spass Mit Kleinen Dinos" ("Great Fun With Little Dinos") and "Neue Reisen, Neue Freunde" ("New Journeys, New Friends") on November 8th, 2012.
References to media[]
- When the children are hiding behind some rocks, Chomper says "Don't move! Red Claw can't see you if you're still!" Though not applied to previous Sharpteeth in the series, this is a reference to Jurassic Park (1993) where one of the characters says the same thing about a Tyrannosaurus. This does not actually work, as Red Claw begins to sniff them out afterwards.
Music[]
The songs are written by Michele Brourman, the lyrics are by Ford Riley, and the music is by Cory Lerios.
- Adventuring
- Talking Big
Trivia[]
- It is mentioned that Chomper's parents gave Ruby the responsibility of keeping Chomper safe from Red Claw and his Fast Biters, who are scaring other dinosaurs in the Mysterious Beyond. It is also revealed that the residents of the valley allowed the two of them to stay in the Secret Caverns.
- The monolith Saurus Rock, from The Land Before Time VI: The Secret of Saurus Rock, is referenced in the song "Talking Big", and is shown in the song as well.
- Chomper at one point refers to the other main characters as "Flatteeth", implying that this might be a term used by Sharpteeth to refer to the herbivorous dinosaurs.
- This episode marks the first time that the term Domehead is used.
Goofs[]
- During one shot, Mama Swimmer is colored green instead of her usual brown. Her snout is also colored the same green instead of its usual tan like her underbelly. Finally, part of her sclera is briefly colored green.
- In one shot during the scene where Chomper sits in water after frantically biting the "stone-teeth", Chomper is briefly seen without teeth.
- When Littlefoot and Chomper are helping Cera up after she almost slips off the ledge in the cave, Littlefoot's brown stripe goes to the tip of his snout instead of stopping between his eyes.
- After the gang escape from Red Claw, Screech, and Thud for the first time, as they are walking off part of what should be cream on Littlefoot's snout is brown.
- During the scene where Red Claw's shadow looms over the family of Parksosaurus, the mother is briefly depicted with teeth, a feature she doesn't have throughout the rest of her appearance.
- When Red Claw is looking for the gang after they hide behind some rocks, his jaw is brown instead of cream. This happens again when Ducky shouts in the Cave of Many Voices.
- In a couple of shots, Red Claw's scar does not go down very far.
- After the gang hear Ducky shout in the Cave of Many Voices, Chomper is seen with purple on his snout where light gray-purple should be, and Ruby and Spike are both tiny.