Kowal (Blacksmith)
He has always been known throughout Wrocław for his talent in transforming metal into true works of art.
Whatever armour, spoon or brooch was made with his hammer, it amazed everyone with workmanship and beauty. This dwarf is not only a skilled craftsman, but above all an artist.
Kowal is one of few dwarfs in Wrocław who did not learn his trade in the wide world. He owes everything he knows to the invaluable teachings of local masters of the chisel and hammer, to talent and to watching people. One of few dwarfs that have never travelled in their lives which, as we know, is rare for them. He appreciates the silence, cosiness and peace of home.
Silence is already assured, because after years of hammering he has become almost completely deaf... it's not so simple when it comes to cosiness and peace. Since he became known as a talented craftsman in his youth, he has been asked to create more and more new treasures. Fashionable lady dwarfs forced him to make pins and rings, while ruthless warriors wished to have armour made by his hands. At one time he had so many orders that he put customers on a waiting list months in advance. Harassed by his customers, he almost never left his workshop...
Kowal was distinguished from other craftsmen not only by his good taste and solid workmanship in everything he made, but also by his versatility. Not only did he craft the finest armour and swords within a radius of a thousand rabbit leaps, but he was also well versed in the goldsmith's craft, creating fancy clips, brooches, rings and buckles.
Over the years, news of the talented blacksmith spread through the local towns and villages and even reached the far corners of Europe. Not only dwarfs from the nearby towns, but even from the villages that nobody had heard about before, started to come to Wrocław...
The overworked artist who by nature loved silence and seclusion disappeared from the city one day, leaving behind an empty smithy and a note attached to the door containing only the words: "I am not here”. Disappointed visitors from foreign lands slowly began to leave the city, and the locals became accustomed to the blacksmith's absence over time, using the services of other craftsmen. And only few people knew where Kowal had been hiding all this time; high up in the mountains, sipping tea with rum, enjoying the blissful silence and solitude. After a few years of his 'holiday', however, he started to miss his workshop and decided to come back, as he loved it more than anything else in the world.
On his return to the city, however, he established new rules, which he wrote down, forged on a copper plate and nailed to the door. From then on, no one was allowed to enter his smithy, let alone his cosy flat in a mouse hole in the Market Square. Orders were placed in writing with the secretary, who set deadlines and accepted payment.
As the years passed, the demand for Kowal’s services fell, but this did not particularly worry him. He was pleased that fewer and fewer customers were bothering him with their wishes. And so to this day he has no shortage of orders, because regardless of the era, there are always elegant women hungry for beautiful jewellery. So you can most often meet him on Kuźnicza Street, next to a jewellery store. Today Kuźnik (Forger) leads a much quieter life than in his younger days. Sometimes he even finds time for a short walk. He no longer has to fear that he will get surrounded by pushy customers as soon as he steps outside his studio.
