The Cave of Many Voices (episode)

"The Cave Of Many Voices" is the first episode of the animated children's television series The Land Before Time. It originally aired on January 5th, 2007. 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.

Voice Actors
This episode marks the first time Max Burkholder voices Chomper, as his previous voice actor did not resume his role. 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

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.

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 Sharpteeths' presence, and flee. 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. 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, and Chomper calls out to them in Sharptooth language that an enormous, angry herd is on its way, and that they should evacuate the caverns. The Sharpteeth fall for the trick, and take Chomper's advice. 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.

Ratings
"The Cave of Many Voices" has a current score of 9.6/10 at TV.com, based on ten votes.

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 Canada, and 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! Redclaw can't see you if you're still!" Though not applied to previous Sharpteeth in the series, this is a reference to Jurrasic Park where one of the characters says the same thing about a Tyrannosaurus.

Songs
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, is referenced in the song "Talking Big".
 * Chomper at one point refers to the other main characters as "Flat Teeth", 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

 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.

Character Debuts

 * Recurring characters:
 * Ruby
 * Red Claw
 * Screech
 * Thud


 * Species Debuts:
 * Oviraptor
 * Stegoceras?