def first_and_last(message):
	if message[0] == message[-1]:
		return True
	elif message[0] or message [-1] == "":
		return True
	else message[0] != message[-1]:
		return False
	#elif message[0] or message[-1] == "":
		#return True


print(first_and_last("else"))
print(first_and_last("tree"))
print(first_and_last(""))