beggar of Kuttenberg, of Kuttenberg
“I sit on the steps of Saint James and I see everything. I know this market better than the bailiff.”
Things Cross-eyed Nicholas had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the Thursday after the Invention of the Holy Cross, at Vespers
The cough in my chest is worse today. Stephen the townsman came for his rent. Two groschen for a cellar where the timber is rotting and the air is poison. I told him to fix the beams before the brewer's yard caves in on us. He just laughed. May Saint Jude strike him with boils.
Nota scribaeThe speaker fell into a violent fit of coughing and could not continue for some time.
the eve of Saint George, at None
Lousy Ralph is tearing the market apart looking for his tin medallion again. It's just a bit of tin from his late mother Margaret, but he howls like he lost a chest of silver. Keep your eyes on your own pockets, lads, he's frantic.
It was Saint Barbara, you whoreson! And it was all I had left of her.
I'll keep a lookout, Ralph. Maybe it rolled into the gutter with the bad crusts.
the Wednesday of Easter week, at Terce
Musty Hermann is jumping at shadows again. He saw catchpoll Ulrich in the lower market and nearly soiled his breeches thinking he was bound for the King's levy. I tried to tell him Ulrich is busy coughing his own lungs up with a fever, but Hermann was already halfway down the alley.
A catchpoll is a catchpoll, sick or not. They don't forget names.
Laetare Sunday, at Sext
I shouted it for the whole parish! Gummy Hermann courting Magdalena the washerwoman! Gummy Lorenz is furious, waving his walking stick at me. It's the funniest thing I've seen since Candlemas. A disgraced washerwoman for a daughter-in-law! I'd rather have my cough.
You loose-tongued bastard! I will break this stick over your back if you come near me.
You'll have to catch me first, old man.
Nota scribaeDictated from the steps of Saint James. The speaker laughed so hard he choked.
the Tuesday after Saint Valentine, at Prime
Caught a merchant from Prague on the church steps this morning. Had to use my elbows at the bakery earlier, but I got a whole crust. The guards took their groschen and looked the other way. A good day, if my chest didn't ache so bloody much.
At least you can stand up straight to eat it, Nicholas.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
Pay him, Nicholas, or fifty others will take our spot before matins.
If you mislike the air, you are free to sleep under the stars. The rent is two groschen, beams or no beams.