A couple of times a day
at places where they can't be seen
the Pieten prepare everything
for their work at night.
Late in the evening
when it's dark and cold
Sint and Piet
take the sack,
filled with presents,
and set out
to visit the children.
They are accompanied
by many piets
who help to carry the presents,
climb the roofs,
listen if the children have been nice,
and do all kinds of other jobs.
Like reading the letters
the children have dictated to their parents.
Looking if the carrots
and water
the children have put down
for the horse
are fresh.
Or handing over to Sinterklaas
the presents that were hidden
at daytime
because the house
has too many windows
on the outside.
And at times
has to investigate
the size of the chimney.
None should get stuck,
you know.
If you listen carefully
perhaps you'll hear
the clickitty-clack
of the hoofs of his horse.
For ages Sint delivered the presents
through the chimney.
Which was an easy way
as the shoes stood right before
the fire.
When we got central heating
the works of the many piets and Sint himself
became very difficult.
They had to find a way
to enter the houses,
and leave the presents,
without waking up
all the sleeping children and their parents.
