An
satirical essay written by
Stephen Leacock that mocks the use of
word problems in mathematical questions. Leacock says that it's absurd to create a 3 line story about three
characters with no
past or
future, and only an
immediate task (which usually doesn't make any sense anyway). He creates a math problem that becomes a story, giving
A,
B, and
C (and several other characters, such as the foreigners
Alpha,
Beta,
Gamma,
Delta, the alternate names
X,
Y, and
Z, and their
Christian names
John,
William, and
Henry) real
emotions and real
personalities...
It's really amusing, and I suggest that you find a copy of it to read. Just keep in mind that it's not meant to be serious. :)