The Kelpie's Pearls

by Mollie Hunter

Everyone thinks Morag MacLeod is a witch because of the strange things that have happened since she went to the shores of Loch Ness to see the monster rise. Only Torquil knows better, for her has seen the Kelpie, the supernatural water-horse whose magical powers can summon any beast, even Nessie. Tourists, reporters and professors all gather at Morag's croft, and Torquil fears that his secret collection of animals will be discovered. The fierce woman who looks after him will skin him alive if she finds out about the Kelpie, his animals or his friendship with Morag! And it all started with the Kelpie and his pearls. But just when Morag can't bear the crowds anymore, the Kelpie himself has a plan

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens, Folklore, Scotland

182 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Maureen Mollie Hunter McIlwraith was a Scottish author. She wrote under the name Mollie Hunter. Mollie Hunter is one of the most popular and influential twentieth-century Scottish writers of fiction for children and young adults. Her work, which includes fantasy, historical fiction, and realism, has been widely praised and has won many awards and honors, such as the Carnegie Medal, the Phoenix Award, a Boston Globe - Horn Book Honor Award, and the Scottish Arts Council Award.

There has also been great interest in Hunter's views about writing fiction, and she has published two collections of essays and speeches on the subject. Hunter's portrait hangs in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, and her papers and manuscripts are preserved in the Scottish National Library.

Her books have been as popular in the United States as in the United Kingdom, and most are still in print. Critic Peter Hollindale has gone so far as to assert that Hunter "is by general consent Scotland's most distinguished modern children's writer."

Reviews

[Carrie Brownell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up at a thrift shop, read the first few pages, and knew this was a book I would probably enjoy reading. And I did! Thoroughly! If you like Scotland, the Highlands, Loch Ness, Kelpies, or all of the above, this book is for you. It's the perfect little blend between the modern day and old legends of the past. I particularly loved how Hunter kept pointing out to her readers that you are almost safer, and certainly more well-learned, if you believe in the stories rather than if you do not.

This is a short read but a deliciously satisfying one. I'm glad I stumbled upon it.

[Grace Maslen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect book for autumn. Gorgeous cosy winter witchy vibes, makes me want to be a granny in Inverness.

[G Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There was nothing to be heard there but the brown burns purling over the stones and the peewits calling the lost, sad cry of their kind: nothing to be seen but purple heather and golden bracken, with maybe a pair of hunting buzzards wheeling on big slow wings in a sky as deep blue as the loch below. And always, in the spring and the summer, little brown specks of larks pouring song like golden rain down from the highest point in the sky…"

The Kelpie’s Pearls is one of my favourite books, and for all its brevity and simplicity, one of Mollie Hunter’s best. First published in 1964, it lacks the pace and sophistication of many modern children’s books, but has a timeless rather than an old-fashioned quality. It is the story of two unusual friendships: between an old woman called Morag and a lonely boy named Torquil, who loves animals, and between Morag and a kelpie – a water-spirit of Scottish folklore who normally appears in the form of a black horse.

Hunter weaves into the story the Loch Ness monster, a hoard of pearls and a dash of magic, but the book has something more than that: a moving appeal for tolerance towards those who are a little too different or eccentric to fit in, or as the Times Literary Supplement puts it, ‘a touching plea for the recognition of natural magic in the midst of mundane things’. It is a moving and beautifully written tale and a story for all ages. I will be re-reading it for years to come.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the way through reading this book I thought about how it would make a fantastic Studio Ghibli film. Just the right length and simplicity of narrative, and the imagery of Scottish highlands, burns and moors would be rendered really beautifully. Maybe I thought of that because the main character, Morag, reminds me of Sophie in Howl's Moving Castle - both the book and the film! She is plucky and doesn't care what people think, and is committed to her own way of living. (I love no-nonsense old ladies who dabble in witchcraft!) I also enjoyed the cameo of the Loch Ness monster, that was a nice touch.

The story is lovely but so is the detail; the kelpie's pool next to the little house on the hillside, and the way she has tea and scones with 'Royal crowdie', and the bus, it's all really nice simplistic rural imagery. The illustrations by Charles Keeping in the 1973 edition I read are beautiful.

I wish I'd read this as a child but to be honest I really enjoyed it as an adult, it's not a babyish book at all. Anyone who's a fan of stories about folklore or witchcraft would enjoy this.

As an end note -- spoiler alert -- was Morag riding away on the kelpie at the end and 'leaving this world' a metaphor for death or even suicide? Her note to Torquil reads this way...I guess if it is it's a beautiful metaphor, but sad if she chose to leave because of the unwanted attention from her neighbours.

[Jules.Bookverse · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Kelpie's Pearls is such a sweet and enchanting children's story. Since I'm currently living in Scotland I recently got into finding out more about its legends and mystical creatures that walk the soft hills of the Highlands. Also, mythical stories always interested me.;)

Although it first took me some time to get used to the writing and the use of these 'Gaelic' and unknown English words I thought it was well enough described for the target group of children's.

All together I think it's a lovely tale to remind children to think about tradition and legends which will just increase their imagination. Even as an adult I think it's good to read these kinds of tales from time to time in order to let go of our strict believes and give in to dreaming a little bit too.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this in a Dublin bookstore while looking for another Mollie Hunter book, the Smartest Man in Ireland. This story is set in Scotland and, like "Smartest Man," mixes the mortal world with the world of the old Gaelic world. Charles Keeping, the gifted illustrator who also worked on "Smartest Man," made the drawings here. They're lovely but the small scale of this edition doesn't do them full justice. The Kelpie's pearls is the story of an old woman whose chance encounter with a kelpie (Scottish sea creature) puts her at odds with the modern world. Only a pure-hearted young boy really understands her innocence. I enjoyed the story although prefer "The Smartest Man in Ireland." Sadly most editions of that book do not have the gorgeous Keeping illustrations which are very much in sync with the Gael spirit-- haunting really.

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

My teacher read this to my primary class many moons ago. I remember loving the story at the time, and the tricky old Kelpie in particular. I'm not even sure if this is still in print, it's a book I'd love to revisit and see if it still stands up. It's definitely one to look out for if you're a fan of folklore.

[Nikhilā · Rating 3 out of 5]

The style in which this book was written would really much better suit being read aloud. Good story though, I certainly enjoyed it.

[Steve Vernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it quite a few years back and enjoyed it a lot. Mollie Hunter is worth seeking out if you are fans of selkies, kelpies and mermaids.

[Ewan Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was originally read to me by my Primary 4 teacher. The memory recently came into my head and I had to find a copy of it to read it nearly 20 years later.

There is not much to say about this book other than it is a fantastic folk tale which is heartwarming, with a vividly described setting. What a great trip down memory lane.

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morag, an old highlander living in her croft near Loch Ness, meets a kelpie. They're both old and a little lonely so they bond. All nice and pleasant, except for the trapper who wants the kelpie's pearl stash. And the rumors that develop that Morag isn't just a normal old woman after all ...
Low-key but winning.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I ever edited, for my degree, so it holds a special place in my heart.
It's a little dark in places, but fun. Morag is lovely and her story is interesting. Plus the kelpie and Nessie!

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic style of fae tale.

[Kathryn]

author recommended by Abigail
Scottish setting

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Wuick Read

[Desiree' · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Mollie Hunter classic. This story is set in a time that the old days of folklore in Scotland are a joke to citizens. They do not believe it to be true anymore. However, there happens to be strange occurrences at the top of this hill where a sweet little old lady lives. She has made a friend near a pond that changes her life forever.