IndexError in string in python

[enter image description here][1]

[1]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/54Ut8.png***This is " IndexError: string index out of range" typenter code heree or error***

Bellow the code:

def first_and_last(message):
    if message[0] == message[-1] or message is None:
        return True
    return False

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

Bellow the Output of the above Code

True
False
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
IndexError                                Traceback (most recent call last)
<ipython-input-9-026229c3b5af> in <module>
      6 print(first_and_last("else"))
      7 print(first_and_last("tree"))
----> 8 print(first_and_last(""))

<ipython-input-9-026229c3b5af> in first_and_last(message)
      1 def first_and_last(message):
----> 2     if message[0] == message[-1] or message is None:
      3         return True
      4     return False
      5 

IndexError: string index out of range