And he put a branch of the rowan-tree (_mountain-ash_), with the red berries in it, over the door of his cottage, so that the kelpie could never come in.
"Now, the shepherd had a very beautiful daughter--so beautiful that the kelpie wanted very much to eat her.

I suppose he had lifted up his head out of the pot some day and seen her go past, but he could not come out of the pot except after the sun was down." "Why ?" asked Allister.
"I don't know.

It was the nature of the beast.

His eyes couldn't bear the light, I suppose; but he could see in the dark quite well .-- One night the girl woke suddenly, and saw his great head looking in at her window." "But how could she see him when it was dark ?" said Allister.
"His eyes were flashing so that they lighted up all his head," answered Kirsty.
"But he couldn't get in!" "No; he couldn't get in.

He was only looking in, and thinking how he _should_ like to eat her.