0.3: A Function Fable

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This fable is thanks to Judy Dean, who lives in Rochester.

Long, long ago, in a faraway place, was a collection of kingdoms. The kings were well loved and people were happy. One day a stranger wandered into the land of Rochacha and had this conversation with the king.

"So, King Roch, your people seem so happy."

"Oh yes, my kingdom is my domain. When we are functioning well, all the people in my domain, the \(x\)-people, they go out and contact people out in the fields and prairies."

"Really?"

"Yes, when a person out in the field is contacted by an \(x\)-person, they are so ecstatic, they cry out 'I'm not worthy, why me, why me!?!' ..... of course they are the why-people. We refer to them as \(y\)-people."

"So, let me get this straight. The \(x\)-people from your domain go out and contact the \(y\)-people out in the field."

"Yes, the \(y\)-people are out in the fields and prairies. We like to say they are home on the range."

"Ok. The \(x\)-people from the domain contact the \(y\)-people in the range."

"That's right."

"Now I've heard rumors about your kingdom. Is it true some \(y\)-people are contacted by more than one \(x\)-person?"

"Yes, it is a lucky \(y\)-person who is contacted by multiple \(x\)-people."

"And, could an \(x\)-person actually contact themselves, or another \(x\)-person?"

"Well, it takes all kinds to make up a kingdom.”

"Does an \(x\)-person ever contact two \(y\)-people? or three?"

"An \(x\)-person contact more than one \(y\)-person??? That would be heresy....absolutely preposterous!! If that were to happen we would not even be functioning!!"

"So, to function, each \(x\)-person must contact only one \(y\)-person."

"That's correct."

Stay tuned for further adventures of the \(x\)-people in the domain and the \(y\)-people in the range, in future chapters!