woodworker at the Italian Court, of Kuttenberg
“I do my day's work with the adze, collect my coin, and stay out of brawls.”
Things Walter Cooper had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
The Tuesday before Whitsun, at None
Karl came at me again during my rest, asking if I am walking south yet. I am not walking south. I have not walked south in twenty years. I sit on this same pile of oak offcuts every noon, eating my cheese.
Nota scribaeHe sighed very heavily before speaking and rubbed his neck throughout.
The feast of St Philip and St James, at Vespers
Hannes is swinging his saw like a madman to show the rest of us up. He will ruin his shoulder before the month is out. I pace myself, and my beams are just as smooth.
If you swung faster, old man, you might have coin to lease your own yard.
My boy Drslav swings a saw better than both of you, if he would only wake up.
The Wednesday after Easter, at Compline
William is weeping again over his brother Matthew's spring barley. I care nothing for Matthew's barley, nor do I care that John betrayed William over ten groschen. I only want to finish smoothing this beam in peace.
You have no heart, Walter. It was ten groschen, and it was a Tuesday!
Mind your own adze, old man. William had it coming.
Nota scribaeThe man paused to expel a long breath before continuing.
The eve of Palm Sunday, at Prime
They say the Pope wants all this written down, so here it is. The bread in the market costs more than last spring, and my joints ache from the damp. Master Maurice pointed his finger at me today, praise be. That is all.
My brother Johannes took my good saw, or I would have been picked too.
Nota scribaeDictated in the dirt outside the counting-house.
The Friday before Ash Wednesday, at Vespers
We buried poor Hedvika today. The fever took her quick. God rest her soul, and God curse her nephew for locking the cellar doors on us before the dirt was even flat. Now we drink thin ale in the cold.
Her spiced ale was the only thing keeping the chill out of my bones.
Ay. Now we sleep in draughts and wake with stiff shoulders.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
But if you do happen to walk that way, you only need tell my brother I am well.
I am not walking south, Karl.