Bulundukları ortamda huzur kalmadığı için balıklar hiç de memnun değildiler. Hiçbiri diğerleriyle buluşmuyor, keyifleri nasıl isterse biri sağa, öbürü sola gidiyordu. Bir araya gelmek isteyenlerin önü kesiliyordu; güçlü olan kuyruğuyla zayıf olanı dövüp kaçırıyor ya da yutmaya çalışıyordu.
"Bir kralımız olsa ne iyi olurdu; hak ve hukukumuzu sağlardı" diyerek toplandılar ve aralarında, denizin kabarması halinde en iyi ve en hızlı yüzüp zorda kalanlara yardım edecek olanı seçmeye karar verdiler.
Sahilde sıralandılar. Turna balığı kuyruğuyla bir işaret verdi, hepsi aynı anda yüzmeye başladı.
Turna balığı ok gibi ileri atıldı; onunla birlikte zargana, uskumru, levrek, sazan balığı ve daha ne varsa! Dilbalığı da hedefe ulaşma umudu içinde onlarla birlikte yüzdü.
Derken bir ses duyuldu: "Turna balığı önde! Turna balığı önde!" diye.
Bu işe canı sıkılan kötü kalpli kara ve fesat dilbalığı, "Kimmiş önde?" diye bağırdı.
"Levrek! Levrek!" şeklinde geldi cevap.
"Çıplak levrek mi?" diye seslendi kıskanç balık, "Çıplak levrek mi?"
İşte o günden beri çenesini tutması için dilbalığına bir ceza verildi. O günden beri dilbalığının ağzı hep çarpıktır.
The fishes had for a long time been discontented because no order prevailed in their kingdom. None of them turned aside for the others, but all swam to the right or the left as they fancied, or darted between those who wanted to stay together, or got into their way; and a strong one gave a weak one a blow with its tail, which drove it away, or else swallowed it up without more ado. "How delightful it would be," said they, "if we had a king who enforced law and justice among us!" and they met together to choose for their ruler, the one who could cleave through the water most quickly, and give help to the weak ones.
They placed themselves in rank and file by the shore, and the pike gave the signal with his tail, on which they all started. Like an arrow, the pike darted away, and with him the herring, the gudgeon, the perch, the carp, and all the rest of them. Even the sole swam with them, and hoped to reach the winning-place. All at once, the cry was heard, "The herring is first!" - "Who is first?" screamed angrily the flat envious sole, who had been left far behind, "who is first?" - "The herring! The herring," was the answer. "The naked herring?" cried the jealous creature, "the naked herring?" Since that time the sole's mouth has been at one side for a punishment.
They placed themselves in rank and file by the shore, and the pike gave the signal with his tail, on which they all started. Like an arrow, the pike darted away, and with him the herring, the gudgeon, the perch, the carp, and all the rest of them. Even the sole swam with them, and hoped to reach the winning-place. All at once, the cry was heard, "The herring is first!" - "Who is first?" screamed angrily the flat envious sole, who had been left far behind, "who is first?" - "The herring! The herring," was the answer. "The naked herring?" cried the jealous creature, "the naked herring?" Since that time the sole's mouth has been at one side for a punishment.