Maaike smeared the black make-up over her face.

" Use more", Jan said, " Now you like an American football player or a commando. Your whole face should be pitch black."

" I know. It's just... I suddenly realize what problem some people seem to have with it. Here I am, a white girl trying to play a black guy and..."

" Not a black guy. Black Peter isn't black. It's because of the ashes and the chimney. In fact he's an Italian."

" If that was the case, I could just as well do with less make up. I personally believe the Moor-theory."

Karin looked at the two of them.

" He's neither a chimney-sweeper, nor a Moorish slave. Saint Nicholas is based upon Germanic mythology and the Wild Hunt. Peter represents the ravens."

" Always sinister, Goth girl?"

" No it's true. You can look it up on the internet."

" So why the curly wig and the Surinamese accent?"

" The wig is because he's Italian", Jan said.

" And the accent?"

" That's because some people, like you believe he is a black guy, which he is not."

" So he has no accent?"

" If he has one it's either Spanish or Italian."

" Or Turkish", Karin suggested," For Saint Nicholas is Turkish."

" What? He's Spanish!"

" No. He's from Myra. That's in Turkey."

" Wait, so we have a Turkish saint, who lives in Spain and his servant is either a Moor, an Italian chimney-sweeper or an ancient Germanic raven?"

" That's right."

" So where do the boat and the horse come in?"

" The horse is Sleipnir, Wodan's eight legged steed."

" He's called Americo, and he has four legs."

" Whatever..."

" And the boat?"

" I don't know. Perhaps this year he arrives by plane?"

" Sounds to me as if Santa is a lot easier to understand."

" Indeed", Jan remarks," He is just a fat elf who lives in Greenland."

" Or in Finland!"

" Greenland!"