Simon P. Gruntfutter, Jr. (Ignoble Press, Swansea-on-Puddle, 1941) Reprinted by permission of the author.

Chapter 2: The Rings of Recitopia

Note to the reader: It has been postulated by many (including Feijoada in "Statistical Analysis of the Teleological Significance of the Rings of Recitopia on Modern Terrestrial Conviviality," Prensa Festiva, Porto Alegre, 1894), that the Rings of Recitopia have been the strongest contributing factor to the stability and longevity of the Recitopian culture. Still others consider the Recitopian Rings to be the single most valuable contribution to civilization ever made by any society, and although this is a subjective assessment not supported by empirical evidence, few scholars have taken issue with this view.

Not long after their migrations began, a period that Recitopians refer to as "The Hors d'Oeuvre," some citizens of the Empire became concerned that their rapid and widespread colonization of the galaxy would have deleterious effects on their culture. Their fear was that the ancient and venerable Recitopian customs and traditions would be forgotten unless Recitopians everywhere made a concerted effort to gather socially, on a regular basis, in order to reaffirm and propagate those traditions; thus were born the Rings of Recitopia.

The first Ring was founded by Convivia Amistad of the Cygnus faction. She took it upon herself to contact all of the Recitopians living in her sector of the galaxy, and invited them to pot-luck supper in a public recreational facility near her home. This became the template for all future Ring gatherings (although they have been known to take place in Recitopian homes, restaurants, and rented meeting facilities, depending on the commitment and organization of the local Ring members), and Convivia Amistad became the archetypical Ring Leader, a term which is still in common English usage today.

Its success in forging close and lasting bonds between Recitopians was obvious and immediate, and news of the first Ring of Recitopia spread rapidly throughout the galaxy. Recitopians everywhere were eager to form their own Ring, or to join one already formed in their vicinity, but the very situation which led to the formation of the first Ring was also an obstacle to the formation of subsequent Rings: determining the location of fellow Recitopians in one's general neighborhood had never been possible before because the sole source of such information is contained in "The List," and the only individual with access to "The List" is the Emperor of Recitopia himself.

Responding to the needs of his adoring subjects (see Chapter 3: The Chef - Man or Myth?), the Emperor devised an ingenious method for Recitopians to make contact with other Recitopians in their portion of the galaxy, thus enabling them to organize Rings on the stellar, planetary, and occasionally, even community levels. With such a system of communication in place, it became a simple matter for any Recitopian to form or join a Ring of Recitopia, and this practice continues today in every corner of the vast and powerful Recitopian Empire.