I do not own either Artemis Fowl or Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus, the text of which Butler is speaking.
It was the morning of December 24th, Christmas Eve. 4-year old Artemis Fowl and his bodyguard's 8-year-old sister, Juliet, were decorating the Christmas tree. As Artemis hung up an ornament shaped like one of Santa's elves, he asked, "Juliet, do you think our chimney's big enough for Santa to come through."
Juliet looked at him, a smile spreading across her face. "There is no Santa Claus, silly. Santa's for little kids."
Artemis crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at her. "Of course there's a Santa Claus. Where else would all of the presents come from?"
"Your parents. Duh."
Butler entered the room, carrying a box full of Christmas decorations. "Butler, is Santa Claus real?" Artemis demanded. "Juliet says that there's not. You're smart Butler, so if you say so, it's true."
Butler set down the box next to the Christmas tree. And said," Artemis, Juliet is wrong. She has been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. She does no believe what she cannot see. She thinks nothing can be which is not comprehensible by her little mind."
"Hey!" cried Juliet.
Butler ignored her exclamation and continued. "All minds, Artemis, whether they be mens' or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge."
"Not mine, " said Artemis proudly. "My mind is big."
"Even your mind is little, Artemis, though it is bigger than most." Butler sighed. "Yes, Artemis, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas, how dreary would be the world if there were no Artemises."
"Wait! What about me?" Juliet interrupted. "Would the world be dreary if there were no Juliets?"
Butler glared at her. "Be quiet. I'm answering Artemis's question," he said. Butler turned back to Artemis. "As I was saying, there would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished."
Juliet snorted. "You should have been a poet, Butler. 'The eternal light with which childhood fills the world,' honestly."
"I thought I told you to be quiet Juliet. Anyway, to not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your father to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus coming down, but what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are no there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all of the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world."
"Everybody knows that there's no such thing as fairies. They don't exist and neither does Santa." said Juliet.
"I believe in fairies," said Artemis quietly.
Butler sighed and continued. "You tear apart a baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart."
"Even you Butler?" asked Artemis. "You're really strong."
"It was a metaphor Artemis. You need to be quiet too. Now, only faith, fancy, poetry, love, and romance can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Artemis, in this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Artemis, nay ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood." He looked at Artemis and Juliet. "There is a Santa Claus. Now, you two can finish decorating the tree. I need to shovel snow off the driveway."
When Butler had left, Juliet whispered to Artemis, "Don't listen to him. "He's almost 30, so he's getting old and crazy. There isn't a Santa Claus."
"Yes there is," said Artemis. "I trust Butler."
Juliet didn't argue, for she knew that once Artemis had made up his mind there was no changing it.
Artemis hung up the last ornament and whispered to himself. "Yes, there is a Santa Claus."