roofer and day-labourer, of Kuttenberg
“I have hauled timber for Jarda these seven years. I do not abide waste or careless young fools.”
Things Tobias Brook had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the Friday before Whitsun, at Vespers
That young whelp Casper called me a thief again over a tin pitcher. It was sitting by the church wall, completely abandoned to the mud! If a man is too stupid to keep his belongings safe, the Lord provides them to a man who will. I saved it from rust.
Nota scribaeDictated at the market cross. He gestured so sharply he nearly struck a passing monk.
the feast of St Pancras, at Compline
My knees are absolute murder today. Patched the shingles on the lower market roof while Jacob Smith stood about smirking and hiding nails. If Jarda were here and not in Prague, the little whoreson would be out on his arse. Respect your elders, I say.
Maybe if you climbed faster than a crippled sheep I wouldn't have time to smirk.
the third day of Easter week, at None
Passed Vlasta's cellar and saw Dietrich staring into his ale. A cursed shame about his leg, but a man who cannot climb is no roofer. Ulrich should have tied that scaffold knot better on St Matthias's day. Christ almighty, you must watch your own ropes on this crew.
I tied it true, Tobias. The devil himself must have loosened it.
I can hear you both out there. Just leave me to my cup.
the Monday after St Gregory, at Sext
The Hungarian soldiers came through the lower town and made a mess of the fences. I swept up three good iron hinges and a pocket of nails they kicked loose. Good salvage. Bread is dear enough this Lent without walking past God's free iron.
Good iron is hard to come by with the roads full of troops. Keep it hidden.
Nota scribaeHe emptied a heavy leather pouch onto my table to prove the count.
the morrow of Candlemas, at Terce
Michael Tanner is weeping about his drawknife. The drunken fool left it behind after I bought him ale, so it is my pledge now until the debt is paid. He gets half-rate from Jarda without it, but a debt is a debt. Bloody hell, keep track of your tools.
I only owed you for two cups! A drawknife costs twenty times that, you thief.
Then pay me for the two cups and learn to hold your drink.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
I turned my back to piss, you old buzzard. Give it back.
You left it unattended. It is my ale pitcher now by right of salvage.