user: Can you describe the essential elements of a story, and create an example demonstrating these?

assistant: All stories require a beginning, middle, and end. Stories usually follow a plot map, or diagram which categorizes different parts of the story based on their role. We call the beginning of a story the opening/exposition, since it should introduce us to the story and characters. We then have an inciting indecent, which puts into action the plot of our story by introducing a goal or conflict to our character(s). As the story progresses, we have rising action, where more conflicts and problems are introduced, and some possible solutions may be presented through foreshadowing. Then, we have the climax, where the story's various conflicts come to a head and the hero either succeeds for fails. Falling action follows the climax and resolves any dangling conflicts not solved in the climax. During falling action, we see the the impact and outcome the climax has had on the characters. Stories end with the resolution, which shows the characters in a new normal, and reflects on how the characters have grown over the course of the story.

Let me know if you would like to learn more about any of these elements of a story.

Here is the fairy tail 'Little Red Riding-Hood', which demonstrates these essential elements:

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Once upon a time there was a little girl who was called little Red Riding-Hood, because she was quite small and because she always wore a red cloak with a big red hood to it, which her grandmother had made for her.
Now one day her mother, who had been churning and baking cakes, said to her:
"My dear, put on your red cloak with the hood to it, and take this cake and this pot of butter along the straight path by the mill to your Grannie, and ask how she is, for I hear she is ailing. But whatever you do don't wander, because there are wolfs in the wood!"
Now little Red Riding-Hood was very fond of her grandmother, who made her so many nice things, so she put on her cloak joyfully and started on her errand. But her grandmother lived some way off, and to reach the cottage little Red Riding-Hood had to pass through a vast lonely forest. However, some wood-cutters were at work in it, so little Red Riding-Hood was not so very much alarmed when she saw a great big wolf coming towards her, because she knew that wolves were cowardly things.
And sure enough the wolf, though but for the wood-cutters he would surely have eaten little Red Riding-Hood, only stopped and asked her politely where she was going.
"I am going to see Grannie, take her this cake and this pot of butter, and ask how she is," says little Red Riding-Hood.
"Does she live a very long way off?" asks the wolf craftily.
"Not so very far if you go by the straight road," replied little Red Riding-Hood. "You only have to pass the mill and the first cottage on the right is Grannie's; but I am going by the wood path because there are such a lot of nuts and flowers and butterflies."
"I wish you good luck," says the wolf politely. "Give my respects to your grandmother and tell her I hope she is quite well."
And with that he trotted off. But instead of going his ways he turned back, took the straight road to the old woman's cottage, and knocked at the door.
Rap! Rap! Rap!
"Who's there?" asked the old woman, who was in bed.
"Little Red Riding-Hood," sings out the wolf, making his voice as shrill as he could. "I've come to bring dear Grannie a pot of butter and a cake from mother, and to ask how you are."
"Pull the bobbin, and the latch will go up," says the old woman, well satisfied.
So the wolf pulled the bobbin, the latch went up, and—oh my!—it wasn't a minute before he had gobbled up old Grannie, for he had had nothing to eat for a week.
Then he shut the door, put on Grannie's nightcap, and, getting into bed, rolled himself well up in the clothes.
By and by along comes little Red Riding-Hood, who had been amusing herself by gathering nuts, running after butterflies, and picking flowers.
So she knocked at the door.
Rap! Rap! Rap!
"Who's there?" says the wolf, making his voice as soft as he could.
Now little Red Riding-Hood heard the voice was very gruff, but she thought her grandmother had a cold; so she said:
"Little Red Riding-Hood, with a pot of butter and a cake from mother, to ask how you are."
"Pull the bobbin, and the latch will go up."
So little Red Riding-Hood pulled the bobbin, the latch went up, and there, she thought, was her grandmother in the bed; for the cottage was so dark one could not see well. Besides, the crafty wolf turned his face to the wall at first. And he made his voice as soft, as soft as he could, when he said:
"Come and kiss me, my dear."
Then little Red Riding-Hood took off her cloak and went to the bed.
"Oh, Grandmamma, Grandmamma," says she, "what big arms you've got!"
"All the better to hug you with," says he.
"But, Grandmamma, Grandmamma, what big legs you have!"
"All the better to run with, my dear."
"Oh, Grandmamma, Grandmamma, what big ears you've got!"
"All the better to hear with, my dear."
"But, Grandmamma, Grandmamma, what big eyes you've got!"
"All the better to see you with, my dear!"
"Oh, Grandmamma, Grandmamma, what big teeth you've got!"
"All the better to eat you with, my dear!" says that wicked, wicked wolf, and with that he gobbled up little Red Riding-Hood.
So, children, listen to your mother's word! For the great wolf men call evil is prowling 'round unheard!

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Opening
- We are introduced to little Red Ridding-Hood

Inciting incident
- Red Ridding-Hood is tasked with taking cake and butter to her Grannie

Rising Action
- Red Ridding-Hood takes the dangerous path
- Red Ridding-Hood meets the wolf
- The wolf eats Red Ridding-Hood's Grannie
- The wolf disguises itself at Grannie and talks to Red Ridding-Hood

Climax
- The wolf reveals itself to Red Ridding-Hood

Falling Action
- Red Ridding-Hood is eaten

Conclusion
- The moral of the story is relayed