Overly show-offy implementation, in Ruby, of @syntacticsugar's Twelve Days of Christmas in Clojure.

rubymas.rb

class Fixnum
  def ordinal
    %w[first second third fourth fifth sixth seventh eighth ninth tenth eleventh twelfth][self - 1]
  end

  # Use #to_word rather than #to_s, so it doesn't break any other printing of numbers.
  def to_word
    %w[one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve][self - 1]
  end
end

class Rubymas
  include Enumerable

  GIFTS = {
     1 => 'a garbage collector with an embarrassing stutter',
     2 => '#ruby slippers',
     3 => 'hash rockets => => =>',
     4 => 'unplayed games',
     5 => 'Sinatra songs',
     6 => 'segfaulting extensions',
     7 => 'pragmatic hackers',
     8 => 'lucky stiffs',
     9 => 'scintillating beardies',
    10 => 'leet Macbooks',
    11 => 'gazillion tests',
    12 => 'Rails hipsters',
  }

  # @param algorithm [:functional, :functionalish, :recursive] Algorithm used to create list of gifts. 
  def initialize(algorithm)
    # Map the name of the algorithm to the appropriate method to use.
    list_of_gifts_method = "list_of_gifts_#{algorithm}"
    if respond_to? list_of_gifts_method
      @list_of_gifts = method list_of_gifts_method 
    else
      raise ArgumentError, "Algorithm, #{algorithm.inspect} not supported"
    end
  end

  # Allow us to iterate through the song, with the Enumerable methods,
  # such as #each, #map, #reverse_each and #to_a.
  def each
    (1..12).each {|day| yield chorus day }
  end

  # Output as a full song, with each chorus separated by an empty line.
  def to_s
    to_a.join "\n\n"
  end

# Let's stop naughty girls from peeking at their gifts too early!
protected

  def gift(day)
    # Memoise it because it is hip and we have hips.
    # Completely pointless, but 'memoisation' is fun to type and fun to say!
    # Don't let nasty spell-checkers make you 'memorise' it though D:
    @gifts ||= Hash.new do |hash, key|
      hash[key] = case key
      when 1     then GIFTS[1]
      when 2..12 then "#{key.to_word} #{GIFTS[key]}"
      else raise 'an exquisite eyebrow'
      end
    end

    @gifts[day]
  end

  def list_of_gifts_recursive(day)
    # Put the gifts in a big pile, ready for the courier service.
    case day
    when 1     then gift 1
      # Could recurse this next case, but it is as no simpler than just doing it
      # this way (list_of_gifts(1) vs. gift(1)).
    when 2     then "#{gift 2} and #{gift 1}"
    when 3..12 then "#{gift(day)}, #{list_of_gifts_recursive(day - 1)}"
    end
  end

  def list_of_gifts_functionalish(day)
    # Put all but the last gift in a big pile, ready for the courier service.
    gifts = day.downto(2).map(&method(:gift)).join ', '

    # And it was looking so functional...
    gifts << ' and ' unless day == 1

    gifts << gift(1)
  end

  def list_of_gifts_functional(day)
    # Put the gifts in a big pile, ready for the courier service.

    # Lamdas are cool too. They are so cute and cuddly and fluffy.
    separator = lambda do |i|
      case i
      when 3..12 then ', '
      when 2     then ' and '
      when 1     then ''
      end
    end

    # As we know, #injecting gives you cooties, so stay in school #with_object!
    day.downto(1).with_object('') do |current_day, str|
      (str << gift(current_day)) << separator[current_day]
    end
  end

  def chorus(day)
    "On the #{day.ordinal} day of Rubymas, my true love gave to me: #{@list_of_gifts[day]}."
  end
end

# Use three different algorithms to generate identical output. This is the way
# they do it in the space shuttle, you know. Ironically, it is 'redundancy' like
# this that keeps people in work!
[:recursive, :functionalish, :functional].each do |algorithm|
  puts '-' * 60
  puts "Now let's be a good little #{algorithm} Al Gore Rhythm!"
  puts

  puts Rubymas.new(algorithm)
end

poesy, poesy. i spy poesy.