handyman and carpenter, of Kuttenberg
“I mend what fools break on the road, though they pay me like a boy shoveling dung. I know my worth, even if Kuttenberg does not.”
Things Albrecht Schmidt had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the Tuesday after St Gregory, at None
Lene's cabbage soup today was mostly rainwater, as usual. I pointed it out to her, and she had the nerve to say I should pay my tally if I want thicker broth. Christ almighty, the whole town is out to wring my last groschen. At least the weather is warming up.
Nota scribaeThe man was loud and smelled of cheap ale. He pointed his finger at my nose while dictating.
the eve of St George, at Prime
I am terrified of this muster. The king's brother is marching about, and they want us in war gear. I had to pawn Edmund's gauntlets just to buy winter bread, God forgive me. If the bailiff sees me without kit, I don't know what I'll do. I need that drawshave back to earn some quick coin.
You pawned my gauntlets? You swore you left them at the smithy to be oiled! Get them back, or I'll take it out of your hide.
I had to eat, Edmund! I'll buy them back when Joan returns my tools.
the third day of Easter week, at Vespers
Another carter snapped an axle on the road from Sedletz. More work for me, though the bastard haggled over every penny. I told him he could drag his cart by hand if he didn't like my price. Mein Gott, the ignorance of these people. A good piece of ash wood doesn't grow on trees, well, not cheap ones.
My leg aches just thinking about lifting an axle. You should have charged him double.
the first week of Lent, at Terce
Wilhelm Schreiber is whining again about his lucky bone die. I won it fair and square behind Saint James's! He says it was just for inspection. A bad loser and a weak man. I'm keeping it in my pouch until he admits defeat. Besides, I'm not listening to him until I get my own property back from Henslin.
It was not a wager! You snatched it from the pot. Give it back, Albrecht, or I'll tell the watch.
Go cry to the watch, Wilhelm. I won the throw.
Nota scribaeHe produced the bone die to show me, then put it quickly back in his pouch.
Candlemas, at Sext
Joan Green borrowed my best drawshave today. I lent it out of Christian charity, but she better not keep it long. And to top it off, Henslin still holds my copper engraving plate. I bought him enough ale to cover that ten groschen loan twice over! That plate is worth far more, and without it, I'm stuck fixing carts.
I am still using it on the rafters, Albrecht. You will have it back by Sunday.
Ale is ale, silver is silver. Bring me ten groschen and you can have your plate. I am not a charity.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
She threatened to cut off my ale yesterday. Best keep quiet and drink the rainwater, Albrecht.
If you stopped spending your coin at the tavern, perhaps you could afford meat.