miner of Horany, of Horany
“I am Simon. They call me the Ox because my back is strong. I shovel more rock than two men.”
Things Simon the Ox had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the eve of St John before the Latin Gate, at Vespers
Foreman Paul says I broke the cart wheel today. I did not break the cart wheel. I only pushed it, and I pushed it hard because my back is strong, see? The wood was rotten. The wood was rotten, and now they say I get no pennies for the shift.
Nota scribaeHe repeated the part about his back three times.
the second day of Rogation, at None
Denis wants his spade back. I told Denis he can have his spade when he walks to Kuttenberg and tells my sister Klara I am alive. I did not die in the mud like poor Andreas. He just has to tell her. Then he gets the spade.
I am not walking all the way to Kuttenberg for your sister. I am a miner, I do not go to the city. Give me the spade, Simon.
You walk to Kuttenberg and you tell her. Then you get the spade. I hid it good.
the Friday after Easter, at Compline
They were talking about the bread costing more groschen now because of the soldiers on the road. I do not like soldiers. The soldiers took us to the camp at Maleshov and it was cold and we ate rotten cabbage. And Edmund died.
Aye, bread is dear. We all suffered in that camp, Simon.
Better to forget it, lad. Drinking helps.
Nota scribaeDictated outside the tavern. He grew very quiet at the end.
the feast of St Gertrude, at Terce
Walter was in the tavern last night. I stared at him. I stared right at him and I did not blink. He knows why. He took Edmund's wool cloak in the camp while Edmund was still breathing in the mud. He left him to freeze. I will not forget it.
He was already dead, you great ox. It was freezing and he didn't need it anymore.
He was breathing. You took his cloak and he froze.
Leave it be, Simon. Walter did what he had to do so he wouldn't freeze too.
the day after Ash Wednesday, at Prime
Vitek's boy wrote my name on the slate today. I am glad. I shovel the rock and I fill the carts. My spade handle snapped yesterday on a bad rock, but I have a strong back. I just want Klara to know I came back from the camp.
You do good work, Simon. Just don't break any more tools.
Nota scribaeHe brought a broken spade handle to show me.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
You pushed it into a boulder, Simon. You have to look where you are going.
Buy him a drink tonight, Paul, the lad worked hard.