"'Pleadings of parties'are the allegations made by the parties to a civil or criminal case, for the purpose of definitely presenting the issue to be tried and determined between them." 1

"'The office of pleading is to inform the court and the parties of the facts in issue; the court, that it may declare the law, and the parties, that they may know what to meet by their proof.' "2

"'The office of pleading is to state facts, not conclusions of law. It is the duty of the courts to declare the conclusion, and of the parties to state the premises.'"3