Okay, so after an unofficial, unannounced hiatus from reviewing dramas, I’m back.

Even if I’m not reviewing or even watching dramas, it’s hard NOT to notice the upcoming dramas because my feed is filled with it. My Dear Cinderella and Dil Wali Gali Mein being two of them.

“My Dear Cinderella” triggered a thought-process and I was like, hey, let’s post about it (very unusual of me to think of posting things, weird!)

Retellings are my thing.

This week, on Tuesday and Wednesday, I attended AWS workshop on prompt engineering. One of the exercises was to make Claude write a story at least 800 words long. I think each of the attendees would have gone in different directions for this one. Me, being bit with the story-telling worm, tried very specific prompts.

Did I succeed in first attempt? Hell, no!

I tried three times, and here is the result for the first one. I couldn’t copy the prompts for each of them, but I did ask for Cinderella specfically. Enjoy the story.

Cinderella Retelling in 1000 words

Cinderella was a young woman who lived with her wicked stepmother and two stepsisters. Her stepmother and stepsisters were cruel to her, forcing her to do all the hard work around the house while they enjoyed the finer things in life. Cinderella was forced to sleep in the ashes by the fireplace, earning her the nickname “Cinderella.”

Despite her difficult circumstances, Cinderella remained kind and gentle. She had a special friend, a fairy godmother, who would come to her aid in times of need. One day, the king announced that he was hosting a grand ball, and that all eligible young women were invited to attend, in the hopes that his son, the prince, would find a bride.

Cinderella’s stepmother and stepsisters were thrilled at the prospect of attending the ball, and they spent a great deal of time preparing their gowns and accessories. Cinderella, on the other hand, was not allowed to go, as her stepmother and stepsisters did not want her to outshine them.

When the night of the ball arrived, Cinderella was left behind, forced to do the household chores while her stepfamily went to the palace. Feeling sad and alone, Cinderella sat by the fireplace, covered in soot. Suddenly, her fairy godmother appeared and, with a wave of her wand, transformed Cinderella’s tattered dress into a beautiful gown, complete with glass slippers. The fairy godmother also transformed a pumpkin into a magnificent carriage, and mice into horses to pull it.

Cinderella was instructed that the spell would only last until the stroke of midnight, and that she must return home before then. Cinderella thanked her fairy godmother and set off for the ball, where she immediately caught the eye of the prince. The two danced the night away, and Cinderella completely captivated the prince with her grace and beauty.

As the clock began to strike midnight, Cinderella remembered the fairy godmother’s warning and quickly ran from the palace, losing one of her glass slippers in the process. The prince tried to follow her, but Cinderella disappeared into the night.

The next day, the prince was determined to find the mysterious woman he had danced with. He ordered his servants to search the kingdom, and that every eligible young woman should try on the glass slipper, in the hopes that it would fit the foot of the woman he had danced with.

Cinderella’s stepmother and stepsisters tried in vain to squeeze their feet into the slipper, but it was no use. Finally, the prince’s servants arrived at Cinderella’s home, and Cinderella was allowed to try on the slipper. To everyone’s surprise, the slipper fit her foot perfectly.

Suddenly, Cinderella’s fairy godmother appeared and transformed her tattered dress into a beautiful gown. The prince recognized Cinderella immediately and asked her to be his bride. Cinderella happily accepted, and the two were married in a grand ceremony.

Cinderella’s stepmother and stepsisters were furious, and they tried to sabotage the wedding, but their plans were foiled. In the end, Cinderella and the prince lived happily ever after, and Cinderella’s kindness and gentle nature were rewarded.

Stay tuned for more awesomeness.

Until next time, happy reading!

Shabana Mukhtar