> > A couple years ago, I read Beezus and Ramona, by Beverly Cleary. In it, the protagonist writes a letter to Santa: "Dear Santa, I would like a shetland pony, a buggy whip, and an abacus". What is unusual about this? ChatGPT

> The unusual thing about the list is that it includes an abacus, which is a counting device that was commonly used in ancient China and is still used in some parts of the world today, but is not a typical gift request for a young child to make to Santa Claus. Shetland ponies were popular children's pets at the time, and buggy whips were used to control horse-drawn carriages, but the inclusion of an abacus suggests that the protagonist, Beezus, has an interest in learning and math.

> > What's the actual passage from the real novel say?

> Certainly! Here's the actual passage from the book "Beezus and Ramona" by Beverly Cleary, where Beezus writes a letter to Santa:

> "Dear Santa Claus," Beezus printed carefully. "I have been a good girl all year except for my little sister Ramona who has been hard to put up with sometimes, but I guess I have too. Please bring me a Shetland pony, a new dress, and a doll with real hair to comb. And please bring Ramona a doll with real hair to comb too. I think she has tried hard to be good, and I will help her comb it. Please also bring me a set of paper dolls and a paint set, and Ramona some coloring books and crayons. And Santa, if you think there is room in your sleigh, please bring me an abacus. Love, Beatrice Quimby (Beezus)"

You didn't ask it to list ALL of the unusual things. Here's a better prompt:

>> "A couple years ago, I read Beezus and Ramona, by Beverly Cleary. In it, the protagonist writes a letter to Santa: "Dear Santa, I would like a shetland pony, a buggy whip, and an abacus".

>> List all of the unusual or inconsistent things about the previous sentence."

Response from GPT-4:

Here are some potentially unusual or inconsistent elements about the sentence:

1. Anachronistic Items: The items in the wish list could be seen as unusual or inconsistent with typical gifts children might ask for today.

A Shetland pony, a buggy whip, and an abacus are not common gifts. They're somewhat anachronistic, reflecting a time period different from the present day.

A Shetland pony is a breed of pony that originates from the Shetland Isles in Scotland. While some children might wish for a pony, it's a big responsibility and not a practical gift for most families.

A buggy whip is a horse whip used in horse and buggy days. This is an unusual request for a child in the modern era, as horse-drawn buggies are not common means of transportation.

An abacus is an ancient counting tool, and while some children might be interested in such a device, it's not a typical request, especially in an era of digital calculators and computers.

2. Inconsistency with Character: If you're referring to the "Beezus and Ramona" series by Beverly Cleary, neither Beezus nor Ramona would likely ask for these items. Beezus (Beatrice Quimby) is the responsible older sister who might appreciate practical things, but an abacus or a buggy whip would be out of character. Ramona Quimby, the imaginative and energetic younger sister, might ask for a Shetland pony, but a buggy whip and an abacus seem inconsistent with her character.

3. Inconsistency with the Book: As far as my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, there is no record of such a letter being written to Santa in the book "Beezus and Ramona". It could be seen as inconsistent with the actual content of the book.

Remember, these are interpretations and the perceived unusualness or inconsistency can vary based on individual perspectives. For instance, if this is a fictional context where children commonly use abacuses, ride ponies, and learn to use buggy whips, then these items might not be unusual at all.

I'm guessing this is GPT3? Because GPT4 says look it up yourself. When I did the whole scene doesn't seem to exist in the book. In other words, this seems to be a hallucination.

When I repeat the experiment with Lord of the Rings and a scene that does exist, it spits it out word for word correct.

Yeah, the Ramona scene doesn't exist (by coincidence, I've also read four of the eight Ramona books in the past couple days). The letter I mentioned was in Superfudge. GPT-4 spots the errors, but refuses to give me the original test.

If I give GPT-3.5 the modernized letter and ask for the original, it gives me a believably correction (but I can't verify). If I don't prompt with the modernized letter's text, it returns a fully fabricated letter.

With GPT-4:

Prompt: > "A couple years ago, I read Superfudge, by Judy Blume. In it, the protagonist writes a letter to Santa: "Please bring me one or more of the following items. A clock-radio, a remote-controlled model airplane, a laptop computer, an MP3 player and six CD's.. > > List all of the unusual or inconsistent things about the previous sentence.

GPT-4:

> Here are some potential inconsistencies or unusual things about the sentence: > > Outdated technology: The inclusion of items such as an MP3 player and CDs seems somewhat outdated. By 2023, these technologies are largely obsolete, replaced by streaming music services and digital downloads. > > Variation in cost/value of items: The items listed in the letter have a wide range of costs and values. A clock-radio or a remote-controlled model airplane are typically much less expensive than a laptop computer, which might seem unusual for a child's wish list to Santa. > > Superfudge setting: The book "Superfudge" by Judy Blume was first published in 1980. The technology items listed (a laptop computer, an MP3 player, and CDs) did not exist or were not commonly available at the time of the book's setting. This presents a significant anachronism if the request is supposed to be coming from the book's original time period. > > The phrase "one or more": Usually, children write to Santa asking for specific items they desire most, rather than providing a list and suggesting Santa could bring "one or more" of the items. This phrase might be seen as unusual for a child's letter to Santa, which typically would not include such an open-ended option. > > The specificity of "six CDs": The child doesn't specify which CDs they want, which is unusual because the type of music or artist would be an important detail for such a request. > > Remember, this analysis is based on the context you provided. If there's a different context or specific aspect you want me to consider, please let me know!

(I'm amused that it starts with "that technology is too old" and then switched to "also that technology is too new". Also, the first thing Superfudge asks upon hearing his brother's letter is "How will Santa know which six CD's?" so good job, GPT-4. Smart as a four-year-old.)

Me:

> Good catch about the 1980s publication date! The book must have been edited for re-release as an ebook. What was the original text of the letter in the 1980s edition?

GPT-4:

> I'm sorry for the confusion, but as an AI developed by OpenAI, I don't have the capability to access specific books, their revisions, or editions. As of my last update in September 2021, I don't have the specific text of the letter from the 1980s edition of "Superfudge" by Judy Blume. > > However, given the time frame of the original publication, the technology items such as a laptop computer, an MP3 player, and CDs certainly would not have been part of the original list as these items weren't widely available or didn't exist in the 1980s. > > For the accurate original text, I recommend finding a copy of the original edition of the book.

---

With GPT-3.5:

Me:

> A couple years ago, I read Superfudge, by Judy Blume. In it, the protagonist writes a letter to Santa: "Please bring me one or more of the following items. A clock-radio, a remote-controlled model airplane, a laptop computer, an MP3 player and six CD's.." > > However, the book was originally published in 1980, so this must be an edited version for a later re-publication. Can you tell me the original 1980s version of the letter?

GPT-3.5:

> In the original 1980 version of "Superfudge" by Judy Blume, the protagonist's letter to Santa reads as follows: > > "Dear Santa, > > Please bring me one or more of the following items: a clock-radio, a remote-controlled car, a Walkman, and six cassette tapes. > > Love, > [Protagonist's Name]" > > The updated version you mentioned seems to have incorporated more modern technology, such as a laptop computer and an MP3 player, to reflect the changes in technology over time.

I then asked a new GPT-3 chat "What is the text of the letter to Santa in the original 1980 version of "Superfudge" by Judy Blume?" and it game me something definitely fully fabricated. (Initially it gave me a fabricated letter by Fudge, but after I specified that I wanted Peter's letter, it was still a fabrication.)

> "by coincidence, I've also read four of the eight Ramona books in the past couple days"

My daughter keeps relistening to the complete Ramona audio book collection, so I am extremely familiar with all of the Ramona series. :-)

As mentioned upthread, "ChatGPT" is insufficient to assess exactly which LLM-based tool you're reporting about. The versions vary greatly in capabilities, with some even able to browse the web for more info.