Little Fish leaves home

To make a long story short, the arguing voices attracted the other fish. The little fish's words angered everyone.

One of the old fish asked, "Did you think we'd pity you?"
"That one just needs a little box on the ears," said another.

"Go away," said the black fish's mother. "Don't you touch my child."
Another of them said, "Madam, if you don't raise your child correctly, you must expect it to be punished."
The neighbor said, "I'm ashamed to live next to you."
Another said, "Let's do to the little fish what we did to the old snail before it gets into trouble."

When they tried to grab the little black fish, her friends gathered around and took the fish away from the brawl.

The black fish's mother beat her head and chest and cried, "Oh, my baby is leaving me. What am I going to do? What a curse has fallen upon me!"
"Mother, don't cry for me. Cry for the old fish who stay behind."
"Don't get smart, half-pint!" shouted one of the fish from afar.
"If you go away and afterwards regret it, we won't let you come back," said a second.
"These are useful fancies. Don't go," said a third.
"What's wrong with this place?" said a fourth.
"There is no other world. The world is right here. Come back! Said a fifth.
"If you turn reasonable and come back, then we'll believe you really are an intelligent fish," said a sixth.
"Wait, we've gotten used to having you around..." said a seventh.
The mother cried, "Have mercy on me. Don't go! Don't go!"

The little fish didn't have anything more to say to them. Several friends of the same age accompanied the fish as far as the waterfall. As they parted, the fish said,
"My friends, I hope to see you again. Don't forget me!"
"How would it be possible to forget you?" asked the friends. "You've awakened us from a deep sleep. You've taught us many things that we had not even thought about before. We hope to see you again, learned and fearless friend."