Sinterklaas and Zwarte
Piet
Margo sat on the edge of the bed, smiling at her kleindochter Annie. It
was late December and it had been many years since Margo was such a
small girl, looking at her Oma the way Annie looked at her now. The
cold air seeped in through the windows, but
the old afghan on the bed kept the two from shivering. "Did you know
that my Oma made this blanket, Annie?"
Annie, still a little bit hyper from all the fun she had been having
with her Oma and Opa that day, shifted on her pillow and felt the soft
blanket. "No, Oma, I didn't know that. Did she make a lot of blankets?"
Margo patted the blanket, too, and smiled thoughtfully for a moment. It
had been a long time since Oma had made a blanket like this. "Yes, she
did. She made hundreds and hundreds and gave them to the family and to
her friends and to many little boys and girls who didn't have warm
blankets to keep them snug in their beds."
Annie grabbed the blanket and pulled it up to her chin. It really was a
very warm blanket. "Oma, can you tell me a story? Like one of the ones
your Oma and Opa told you?"
Margo lay down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "Of
course, kindje lief. What kind of story would you like to hear?"
"How about one about Santa Claus! It's almost Christmas. I've been so
good this year! I think he's going to bring me lots and lots and lots
of presents."
"Lots and lots and lots, huh? Not just a couple of pairs of socks and a
book or two?" She tickled Annie's side a little bit. "Okay. I'll tell
you about Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet."
"Who are they?"
"Sinterklaas is the Dutch Santa Claus and Zwarte Piet is his helper.
Sinterklaas is a bishop and wore a long robe and a hat. It didn't look
like the American Santa Claus's hat, though. It was the kind that a
bishop wears in the church. It's very tall and white with beautiful
gold designs and it splits in two at the top. It's a very pretty hat.
Sinterklaas is a very good, sweet man. He loves all the children of the
world and brings all the children of Holland treats and toys and makes
them happy when they have been good, sweet little boys and girls. The
kids put wooden shoes stuffed with hay outside their door, like we
leave milk and cookies out. Sinterklaas rides on a horse, or at least,
he did many, many years ago. Maybe now he has a car and drives from
house to house. I don't know, actually."
"Does he come from the North Pole, like Santa Claus?"
"They say that he lives in Spain, but I'm not really sure. I think that
he travels all over the world and I don't know that even HE knows where
he comes from anymore. But, he had so many children to spoil that he
needed a helper. He found a little boy with dark skin who could climb
up and down the chimneys of the houses without looking dirty the way
you would. You would be covered in black soot, but Zwarte Piet's skin
was so dark that you couldn't see the soot at all. Piet is such a
wonderful helper, Annie. He carries all the toys and candies and
cookies for the good little boys and girls but he also carries the
switches and paddles for the bad ones. Are you a good girl or a bad
girl, Annie?"
"I'm a very, very good girl, Oma! You know that!" Annie looked a little
upset that her Oma would even ask such a thing.
Margo smiled, "I was only teasing, kindje. I know that you are a
wonderful little girl. Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet won't need to bring
any paddles for you. They'll bring chocolates and speculaas and maybe
even some toys and games to play with."
"I know what I want Sinterklaas to bring me! I know! I know! Can you
tell him for me?" Annie asked, sitting up straight in bed. Maybe
telling her this story right before she needed to go to sleep wasn't
such a good idea. Oh well. Margo learned for next time.
"Of course, griet. What do you want me to tell him?" Margo gently laid
Annie back down and pulled the covers up around her shoulders and
kissed her forehead.
Annie yawned. Maybe she was a little more tired than either of them
thought. Maybe Margo was, too, because when Annie yawned, so did she.
"I want the game we saw on TV. The one where you go around the board
and you roll the dice and when you land on the peppermints you get
peppermints and if you land on the chocolates you get chocolates. Mmm I
love candy, Oma!" Annie's mouth was all but watering. Margo laughed and
shook her head.
"Annie, the candy you play with in the game is pretend, silly girl. But
maybe, if you're a very good girl and you help me clean up your room
and make your bed in the morning, you can have a broodje met hagelslag
for breakfast." 
Annie's eyes lit up and she smiled her sweetest possible smile, hoping
that Oma would forget about making her bed in the morning if she smiled
just right.
Margo stood up and smiled back, kissing her mooie kleindochter on the
cheek, tucking her in and switching off the lamp. "Goede nacht, kindje
lief. I'll see you tomorrow morning." She slipped out and closed the
door. Annie's eyes were beginning to droop. It wouldn't be long at all
before she drifted off to sleep, dreaming of Sinterklaas and Zwarte
Piet and all the candies and cookies she wishes she could eat. Margo
sat down in her easy chair in front of the television and thought about
her Oma and Opa. Such wonderful people, such wonderful stories and such
wonderful memories that Margo would never forget.
Author's Note:
In this story, I changed the point of view. In the
last story, Margo drifted off to sleep and I could have ended it there,
but I wanted things to come full circle. For this story, I had Margo
telling a bedtime story to her kleindochter, the way I hope to tell
stories to mine. The story of Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet is... a
bit... well, racist! In this version of the story, I tried to downplay
the racist aspect of having Black Pete being a "negro" (Oh yeah, they
totally use that word in the original story here. For real) and tried
to focus on how helpful he is to Sinterklaas. In Holland, there have
been many controversies surrounding the practice of having people
(almost always a caucasian person in black face) dressing up as Zwarte
Piet and throwing cookies to the children in the streets. However, this
has been practiced for many, many years and I doubt that, even though
it isn't really politically correct, the stories and the fun will end
forever.
I really enjoyed writing this storybook because it has helped me grow
closer to my own Oma and Opa. Next time I'm in Tulsa, I'm going to
print out the webpages so that they can have copies to remind them of
me. They are such amazing people. My Oma really does make incredible,
beautiful afghans and gives them away by the dozens. These two people
have been such extraordinarily important people in my life and any
chance to grow closer to them is truly a blessing. I am very fortunate
and I hope that, one day, when I have a kleindochter or a kleinzoon of
my own, I can love them and be part of their lives the way my Oma and
Opa are part of mine. I am truly fortunate.
Dutch Words:
Sinterklaas - The Dutch
version of St. Nicholas or Santa Claus
Zwarte Piet - Sinterklaas's
black helper, Zwarte means black and Piet is the Dutch spelling for
Pete. In English, they just call him Black Pete. (Zvartuh Peet)
Speculaas - A Dutch spiced
ginger cookie, usually shaped like a windmill and totally delicious!
(Spaykoolahs)
Broodje met hagelslag - This is
one of the most delicious things EVER. I translates to "a roll with
chocolate sprinkles" but I'm telling you, these chocolate sandwiches
are the most incredible breakfasts you'll ever have. You should get
some if you can. Seriously. It's ridiculous. (Brotchuh mit haghulslahg)
Mooie kleindochter - beautiful
granddaughter, moi klinedokhter.
Back
to the Coverpage
Back
to the Introduction
Back
to the Homepage
First
Story: How Klompen Came to Be
Second
Story: Te Veel Kaas
Third
Story: What's a Petticoat?
Bibliography:
Griffis,
William E. (1919). Dutch Fairy Tales for Young Folks.
Image Information:
Hagelslag
Source: Flikr
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