tallyman for the grain merchants, of Kuttenberg
“I tally grain carts and keep a perfectly clean ledger. I mind my own business, though my leg gives me no peace.”
Things Johannes Steiner had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the eve of Ascension, at None
The spring damp is gone at last, but the leg still aches. I suspect my candles burned poorly. I sat all morning watching Maresh and Christopher haul sacks like blind men. Not one of them knows how to stack a load so it doesn't fall.
Nota scribaeThe dictation was interrupted thrice by the man shouting at passing carters.
the Tuesday after Easter, at Vespers
Apollonia made cabbage soup again. I told her the price of bread is no excuse to feed me like a sheep, but she will not listen. Half the town is on the roads because of the soldiers, and I am trapped at my own table.
If you gave me more than copper pennies from your ledger, you'd get mutton.
He owes me for three bowls of soup already, Apollonia.
the fourth day after Saint Joseph, at Prime
I finally got the four beeswax candles to the altar, though the chandler's boy charged me an extra groschen to walk them there. Mein Gott, twelve groschen for wax! I pray the Saint takes away this throbbing in my thigh, for my purse is bled dry.
Father, mother says she will skin you alive if you truly spent twelve groschen on wax.
Nota scribaeHe rubbed his leg the entire time he spoke.
the feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas, at Sext
I passed Otto in the alley today. He looked right at me, and I looked right through him. He knows that broken timber is on his side of the boundary. Until he brings a carpenter and his own coin, he gets no word from me.
It was your winter wood on the cart, you stubborn old goat. Pay for the timber!
The cart wheels were on your mud, Otto. The devil take you.
Candlemas, at Prime
The damp is in my bones and the cold makes my leg burn. Wilhelm Schreiber sat with me at the square today, complaining about his children. I told him a man must rule his house, not let his brats rule him. My ledger is clean, at least.
It is easy to rule a house when you sit in the mud all day to avoid your wife, Johannes.
Nota scribaeThe man ground his jaw so loudly it was hard to hear the words.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
Stack them yourself then, old man, if your leg will bear it.
Mein Gott, if I had two good legs you'd be begging for bread, lad.