"ZWART PIET"
Early Holland was a Spanish possession. All of the Bishops came from Spain so by tradition Sinter Klaas comes from Spain dressed as a mediaeval Bishop. He spends most of the year in Spain making his list of who has been good and bad. He puts this information in a big red book. His assistant is a little Moorish man called Zwart Piet (Black Peter). On St. Nicholas Eve Sinter Klaas and Zwart Piet go to deliver gifts. Sinter Klass rides a big white horse, so kids leave out their wooden shoes with hay in them for the horse. In the morning the hay is gone, replaced with gifts. Sinter Klaas takes care of the good kids. Zwart Piet leaves switches with the bad kids for their parents to beat them. If they are real bad he carries them off in his bag.