trader and carter, of Kuttenberg
“I haul grain and goods to Kolin and keep my nose out of other men's foolishness. An honest man owns his tools and guards his pouch.”
Things Benjamin had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the eve of Whitsun, at Vespers
The tolls at the bridge are up again, and those Hungarian soldiers looked far too long at my grain sacks today. I grease my cart axles with my own sweat, friend, and I won't lose my cargo to King Sigismund's dogs. I drank my ale fast tonight.
Nota scribaeHe spat on my boots when he said the word friend.
the Tuesday after Saint George, at None
Eli caught me at the stables again with another message for his brother Philip in Prague. I told him yes, friend, I will surely tell him. The wind on the Kolin road can carry the words to Prague for all I care. I have tolls to pay, not miracles to work.
the third day of Easter week, at Prime
Watched David strutting around boasting of his wages from Jarda the carpenter. The lad's using Paul's chisel and Jonas's adze. Buy your own iron, friend, or find another trade. The whole quarter is either borrowing tools or whining about padded jacks. Makes me glad I only deal with mules.
the feast of Saint Gertrude, at Sext
Nathan is weeping into his thin beer because Eli took his tin pitcher. The fool pawned his war gear to widow Constance and expects us to weep for him. Keep away from that grated window, friend, and keep your hands on your own gear. Not a penny of mine goes to fools.
That pitcher belonged to Kona, God rest her soul. You have a stone for a heart, Benjamin.
Constance takes what she is owed. We all know the rates when we knock on her door.
Nota scribaeDictated at the ale-stand. The subject was drinking heavily and scowling.
the day after Candlemas, at Terce
The mud on the Kolin road is thick enough to swallow a boot. Eli begged me again to seek out his brother. Prague is a different world, friend, and there are burned villages between here and there. I nodded to shut him up. Let him have his hope, it costs me nothing.
May God bless your journey, Benjamin. Tell Philip I kept the fire lit for him.
Better you than me on those roads. Watch for the Cumans in the woods.
Nota scribaeHe sighed heavily before speaking and rubbed his eyes as if his head ached.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
Better to lose grain than your life, Benjamin. Just pay the toll and keep your head down.
Easy for you to say, friend. You pawned your iron cap to Constance.