Something's driving me crazy,
and I can't sleep.
What's on your mind?
Santa Claus.
Mr. Kringle? Why, what about him?
He talked sign language with a kid today.
Well, that was considerate of him.
It's weird how he knows
so much about toys and kids.
He speaks russian and swahili.
Well, he must be quite a learned man.
He looks exactly like every
picture of Santa Claus I ever saw.
Yes, I know. That's why I chose him.
You're positive he's not
the real Santa Claus?
I thought that we talked about this.
You understand what he is.
What if we're wrong?
That would be extremely rude.
Well, we're not ong sweetheart.
But all my friends believe in Santa Claus.
Well, most children your age do.
How come I don't ?
Because you know the truth,
and truth is one of the most important
things in the world.
To know the truth and to always
be truthful with others
and, more importantly, with yourself.
Believing in myths and fantasies
just makes you unhappy.
Did you believe in Santa Claus
when you were my age?
Yes.
Were you unhappy?
Well, when all the things that I believed
in turned out not to be true,
yes, I was unhappy.
Would it be o.k. If I thought about this more?
Do I have to not believe in Santa Claus
right away?
Come here.
You have the right to believe
whatever you want to believe.
Now, I've told you the truth,
but if I'm wrong, I will be glad to admit it.
I'll tell you what. You ask Mr. Kringle
for something that
you would never ask me for,
And if on christmas morning
you don't get it,
you will know Once and for all
the honest truth about Santa Claus.
That's a very clever idea.
Thank you.
Think you can get some sleep?
- Yep.
- Yeah? Give me a kiss.
Good night.
I love you.
I love you.
- Good night.
- Good night.
christmas christmas
well, it's christmas time, pretty baby
and the snow is
Fallin' on the ground
christmas christmas
well, it's christmas time, pretty baby...
Barkeep! Reload on this.
Hey. Hey!
Can I get another beer?
Boy, that cole's, they dealt me the high, hard one.
I did a good job for them last year.
This year they give me the--the royal fist.
They didn't have grounds
on which to dismiss you.
That broad that runs the parade every year--
One of these college kids
with a 3 ounce brain
and 50 tons of attitude--
She hires some wacko right off the street
to take my place.
Some wacko?
Tell me about him.
He's a loon.
We got thousands in this city.
I'll say.
Never had one of them
take my job, though.
Tony, did you have any contact
with this old guy?
The guy come up on the float, right in my face.
He got aggressive with you.
He tried to whack me over
the head with his cane.
He tried to whack you with a cane?
Isn't that what I just said?
Tony, this'll make you feel better.
Got a little job I want  you to do for me.
What, uh, what kind of job
you have in mind?
You'll see.
Just be yourself.
Don't even think about the camera.
You'll be just fine.
Right.
I must confess, I don't know
why they're making such a fuss about me.
This is the holiday season,
and you're Santa Claus, right?
To many, but to others I'm an old man
with a white beard.
But you're still the symbol of the season.
You think I'm a fraud, don't you?
Fraud is a bit too strong a word.
But you don't believe in me.
I believe that christmas is for children.
Your daughter doesn't believe in me, either.
I don't think that there's any harm in
not believing in a figure
that many do acknowledge
to be a fiction.
Oh, but there is.
I'm not just a whimsical figure
who wears a charming suit
And affects a jolly demeanor.
You know, I..I...I'm a symbol.
I'm a symbol Of the human ability
to be able to suppress
the selfish And hateful tendencies
that rule the major part of our lives.
If...you can't believe, if you can't accept
anything on faith,
Then you're doomed for
a life dominated by doubt.
I like you very much, Mrs...
Mrs. Walker, you're a fine woman.
And, you know,