class M_Lightable(object):
    def base_setup(self):
        self.lit = False
        
    def light(self):
        if self.lit:
            print "%s is already lit."%self.The
        else:
            print "You light %s."%self.the
            self.lit = True

    def extinguish(self):
        if self.lit:
            print "You extinguish %s."%self.the
            self.lit = False
        else:
            print "%s is not currently lit."%self.The


class M_Burnable(M_Lightable):
    def light(self):
        print "You light %s and %s quickly turns to ash."%(self.the,
                                                           self.pron)
        self.light = self._light_fail

    def _light_fail(self):
        print "%s cannot be lit as %s's burnt to a crisp."%(self.The,
                                                            self.pron)


class Thing(object):
    def __init__(self):
        for base in self.__class__.__bases__:
            base.base_setup(self)
        self.setup()
        
    def base_setup(self):
        self.name = ""
        self.pron = "it"

    def get_the_name(self):
        return "the " + self.name
    the = property(get_the_name)
    
    # property() means that when you do use self.The, it will call
    # self.get_The_name()
    def get_The_name(self):
        return "The " + self.name
    The = property(get_The_name)

    # "self.eat()" could be thought of/rewritten as:
    #     tmp = self.__getattr__("eat")
    #     tmp()
    # Since there's no eat() method, missing_action() is called.
    # This creates and returns a function that self.__getattr__()
    # can return.  This function is then called.
    def missing_action(self, action):
        def _action():
            print "You can't %s %s."%(action, self.the)
        return _action

    def __getattr__(self, attr):
        try:
            return object.__getattribute__(self, attr)
        except AttributeError:
            return self.missing_action(attr)
                
    def setup(self):
        pass


class Lamp(Thing, M_Lightable):
    def setup(self):
        self.name = "lamp"


class Paper(Thing, M_Burnable):
    def setup(self):
        self.name = "piece of paper"

class MrStrawman(Thing, M_Burnable):
    def setup(self):
        self.name = "Mr Strawman"
        self.pron = "he"

    def get_the_name(self):
        return self.name
    The = the = property(get_the_name)

lamp = Lamp()
lamp.light()
lamp.light()
lamp.extinguish()
lamp.extinguish()
print

paper = Paper()
paper.light()
paper.light()
paper.extinguish()
print

paper2 = Paper()
paper2.light()
paper2.eat()
print

straw = MrStrawman()
straw.light()
straw.light()
straw.extinguish()
straw.kill()