THE CRUEL STEPMOTHER
by Cyrus MacMillan · from Canadian Fairy Tales
Adapted Version
Long ago, a kind father lived with children. Their mother was gone. He married a new woman. The Father wanted a good home. She came to live with them.
Soon, food was hard to find. The Witch was not kind. She was mean to the children. She blamed them for eating much food. She was a witch.
One night, The Father slept. His First Mother came in a dream. She said, "The Witch is bad. She wants to hurt children. She told him of a web. He must hang it. It would catch much food.
The Father found the magic web. He hung it in the forest. Many beasts came. The web caught them. Now they had much food. The Witch saw this. She became very angry.
The First Mother came again. She spoke to The Father. "The Witch plans bad things. She wants to hurt you. She wants to hurt children." The Father felt scared.
The Father gave special gifts. He gave each child a stick. He gave each child a white stone. He gave them soft moss. "Run away," he said. "Use these if danger comes."
The Witch came home. She did not see the magic web. The Father used the web. It caught her bad magic. He stopped her. Her angry spirit flew out. It was dark. It was mean. It wanted to hurt the children.
The Father ran from the house. He went one way. The angry spirit flew after the children. It was a dark shadow. It chased them. The children ran fast. They were very scared.
The dark shadow came close. The children thought of their gifts. The Boy threw his stick. A thick forest grew up. It stood between them and the shadow. The children rested.
Soon, the dark shadow came again. The children ran. The Girl threw her white stone. A tall mountain grew up. It stood between them. The dark shadow found a way around.
The dark shadow came very close. The children threw the soft moss. A black swamp grew there. The dark shadow fell in. It was gone. The children were safe. They were very happy.
The children went home. They waited for The Father. He did not come back. He was on a long journey. He watched over them. They grew up strong.
The children learned a secret. Their kind father became the Sun. He shines bright in the sky. The Witch's angry spirit became the Moon. She chases the Sun. This is why we have day and night.
And so, the kind father became the Sun. The witch's angry spirit became the Moon. They chase each other in the sky. This is why we have day and night. It reminds us to be brave and kind.
Original Story
THE CRUEL STEPMOTHER
Once long ago, when the Blackfeet Indians dwelt on the Canadian prairies, a poor Indian and his two children, a boy and a girl, were living near the bank of a great river. The children's mother had long been dead and they had long been left to the care of their father. Their father did not think it was right that they should grow up without a woman's kindness, and he decided at last to take another wife. So he went far away to a distant village and there he married a queer woman of another tribe. Soon times grew hard in the North Country, and it was very difficult to get food. The family lived for many days on roots and berries, and often they were very hungry because there was no meat. Now it happened that the woman the man had married was a very wicked witch-woman, who was capable of doing many evil deeds. She had no love for her stepchildren, and she treated them very cruelly. She blamed them for the lack of food in the house, and beating them soundly, she said, "You gluttonous brats; you always eat too much. It is little wonder that we cannot keep the house supplied with food." The man saw his wife's cruelty to the children, but although it made him sad, and at times angry, he did not interfere, for he thought the woman should rule her home.
One night in the early spring, as the man slept, his first wife appeared to him in a dream, and said, "Hang a large spider web across the trail in the forest where the animals pass and you will get plenty of food. But be good to my children. Their cruel stepmother is planning to kill them." And she told him where to look for the magical spider web. The next day the man found the large spider web, and he went far away into the forest and hung it from the trees over the trail where the animals passed. That evening when he went back to the web he found many animals entangled in its meshes, for it had magical power. He killed the animals and brought them home, and that night they had a good fat supper of roast deer meat. Day after day the magical spider web gave him great numbers of rabbits and deer, as the vision of his dead wife had told him in the night, and from that time on the family did not want for food.
But the man's success in hunting only angered his witch-wife. She had now no cause for complaint against the little children, and she could no longer scold them and say that because of them there was no food in the house. Her hatred for them grew stronger each day, and at last she decided to kill them and to kill their father as soon as she could. Their father was going away on the morrow in search of wood to make arrows for his bows, and she thought she would have a good chance to kill them while he was gone. Then she would kill their father when he returned. So she laid her plans. But that night the vision of his first wife came again to the man as he slept, and it said, "Your present wife is a witch-woman. She plans to kill the children to-morrow when you are away, and when you come home she will kill you, too. You must kill her while there is yet time. Remember my little children."
When the man awoke in the morning he was much alarmed because of the story told him by the vision of the night. He no longer trusted his witch-wife and he decided to get rid of her. But he feared she would attack the children before he could prevent it. So when the witch-wife went out to get water from the stream to make breakfast, he gave each of the children a stick, a white stone, and a bunch of soft moss, and he said, "You must run away from here and stay away until I can find you, for you are in great danger. You will find these three things I give you of great use. Throw them behind you if any evil thing pursues you, and they will keep you from harm." The children in great fear at once ran away into the forest. Then the man hung his magical spider web over the door of the house, and sat quietly inside waiting for his wife to come back. In a little while she came home, carrying a pail of water, but she did not see the web with its fine strands hanging across the door, and when she walked into it she was at once entangled in its meshes. She struggled hard to get free, but her head was inside the door while her body was outside, and the web held her fast around the neck. Then the man said, "I know now that you are a cruel witch-woman. You will beat my children no more." With his stone-axe he struck her a mighty blow which completely severed her head from her body. Then he ran from the house as fast as he could and went towards his children, who were watching him not far away.
But the man was not yet done with the cruel witch-woman. As he ran from the house her headless body, freed from the spider web, ran after him, while her severed head, with eyes staring and hair flying, followed the children, sometimes bumping along the ground and sometimes rising through the air. The father thought it would be well to go in a different direction from the children, and he went west, while they went east. The children were very frightened when they saw the horrible head behind them, slowly gaining upon them. Then they remembered their father's magic gifts. When the head was close upon them, they threw their sticks on the ground at their backs and at once a dense forest sprang up between them and their pursuer. The children said, "Now we will rest here for a while, for we are nearly out of breath. The wicked head cannot get through that dense forest." And they sat on the grass and rested.
Soon, however, the pursuing head emerged from the thick trees. The children got up and ran as hard as they could, but close behind them came the severed head, rolling its eyes and gnashing its teeth in a great frenzy, and uttering terrible yells. It was very near to them, when the children again remembered their father's gifts. They threw the white stones behind them, and at once a high mountain of white rock rose between them and their enemy. They sat on the ground and rested, and said, "Oh dear, oh dear, what shall we do? We have only one means of safety left, these little bits of moss." The wicked head hurled itself against the mountain, but it could not get through. A big buffalo bull was feeding on the grass near it, and the head called to him to break a road through the mountain. The bull rushed at the mountain with all his force, but the mountain was so hard that it broke his head and he fell down dead. Some moles were playing in the soft earth near by, and the head called to them to make a passage through the hill. So the moles searched and found a soft earthy place in the midst of the rock and soon they tunnelled a hole to the other side of the mountain, through which the head was able to pass. When the children saw their pursuer coming out of the moles' tunnel they cried loudly and ran away as fast as they could. At last, after a very long chase, the head was almost upon them, and they decided to use their last means of protection. They threw the wet moss behind them, and at once a long black swamp appeared where the moss had fallen, between them and their wicked follower. The head was going at such a great speed, bumping over the ground, that it could not stop. It rolled into the swamp and disappeared into the soft mud and was never seen again.
THE BULL RUSHED AT THE MOUNTAIN WITH ALL HIS FORCE
The children then went home to wait for their father. It was a long journey, for they had run far. But their father never came. Months and months they waited, but he did not come, and they grew up to be great magicians and very powerful among their tribe. At last, by their magic power, they learned what had happened to their father. Their stepmother's body continued to follow him as he ran towards the west. It followed him for many days. Then by his magic power, which the vision of his dead wife had brought to him, he changed himself into the Sun, and went to live with his wife in the sky-country. But the old witch-woman also had magic power, and she changed herself into the Moon and followed him to the land of the stars. And there she still pursues him. And while he keeps ahead of her and she cannot catch him, night follows day in all the world. But if she overtakes him she will kill him, and day will disappear and night shall reign for evermore upon the earth. And the Blackfeet of the plains pray that he will always keep in front in the race with his former witch-wife, so that there may be always Night and Day in succession in all the land.
Story DNA
Moral
Cruelty and evil, even when seemingly defeated, can persist in new forms, requiring constant vigilance.
Plot Summary
A kind Indian man, after his wife's death, marries a cruel witch-woman who abuses his children. Warned by his dead wife's spirit, the man uses a magical spider web for hunting and eventually kills his stepmother. However, her severed head and body continue to pursue the children and father separately. The children use magical gifts to escape the head, while the father transforms into the Sun and the stepmother's body into the Moon, eternally chasing each other, creating day and night.
Themes
Emotional Arc
fear to relief, then bittersweet acceptance
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Reflects indigenous storytelling traditions, often incorporating origin stories for natural elements and moral lessons within a supernatural framework.
Plot Beats (13)
- A poor Indian man with two children marries a new wife after his first wife dies.
- Times grow hard, and the new wife, a witch-woman, treats the children cruelly, blaming them for food scarcity.
- The man's dead first wife appears in a dream, revealing the stepmother's evil and instructing him to use a magical spider web for hunting.
- The man finds and uses the magical spider web, providing abundant food, which further enrages the stepmother.
- The dead wife appears again, warning the man that the stepmother plans to kill him and the children.
- The man gives his children a stick, a white stone, and moss, instructing them to flee and use the items if pursued.
- The man kills the stepmother by trapping her in the magical spider web and severing her head with an axe.
- The stepmother's headless body pursues the father, while her severed head pursues the children.
- The children throw the stick, creating a dense forest that temporarily blocks the head.
- The children throw the white stone, creating a high mountain that the head eventually bypasses with the help of moles.
- The children throw the moss, creating a black swamp that swallows the pursuing head, defeating it.
- The children return home and wait for their father, who never comes back.
- As adults, the children learn their father transformed into the Sun and the witch-woman's body into the Moon, forever chasing each other, explaining the cycle of day and night.
Characters
The Father (Indian Man) ★ protagonist
A Blackfeet Indian man, likely of sturdy build from a life of hunting and living on the Canadian prairies. His skin would be tanned and weathered from exposure to the elements. He is a hunter, so he would possess a lean, strong physique.
Attire: Practical clothing made from animal hides, such as deerskin leggings and a tunic, possibly adorned with simple beadwork or fringe. He would wear sturdy moccasins for hunting and travel.
Wants: To provide for and protect his children, to find companionship after his first wife's death, and ultimately, to escape the evil of his second wife.
Flaw: His initial passivity and reluctance to interfere in his home, allowing his cruel wife to mistreat his children. He fears confrontation.
Transforms from a passive, saddened father into a decisive protector who takes extreme measures to save his children and himself, ultimately becoming the Sun.
Kind, well-meaning, somewhat passive, protective (eventually), regretful. He prioritizes his children's well-being but initially struggles to assert himself against his wife.
Image Prompt & Upload
A Blackfeet Indian man, adult, standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a sturdy, lean build, tanned and weathered skin, dark eyes, and long dark hair tied back. He wears deerskin leggings, a simple hide tunic, and moccasins. He holds a stone-axe in one hand. His expression is serious and determined. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Cruel Stepmother (Witch-Woman) ⚔ antagonist
A woman of 'another tribe,' suggesting she might have distinct features from the Blackfeet. She is described as 'queer' and a 'wicked witch-woman,' implying an unsettling or unnatural appearance. Her body, even headless, is capable of pursuit.
Attire: Likely practical, tribal clothing, but perhaps with a sinister or unkempt quality. Given her nature, it might be dark-colored or made of coarse materials, possibly adorned with strange talismans or symbols of her witchery.
Wants: To eliminate the stepchildren and their father, driven by pure hatred and a desire for sole control or perhaps to hoard resources.
Flaw: Her overwhelming hatred and single-minded pursuit make her vulnerable to magical defenses. Her physical form is susceptible to the father's axe.
Remains consistently evil throughout, culminating in her death and subsequent transformation into the Moon, forever pursuing the Sun.
Cruel, hateful, gluttonous (ironically, she accuses the children of it), vengeful, relentless, wicked, magical.
Image Prompt & Upload
A severed female head, with dark, long, wild hair flying around it. The face has sharp features, wide staring dark eyes, and teeth bared in a snarl. It is depicted mid-air, slightly above the ground, with a frenzied, malevolent expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Boy (Indian Child) ◆ supporting
A young Blackfeet Indian boy, likely thin due to periods of hunger. He would have the typical features of his tribe, agile and quick from a life on the prairies.
Attire: Simple, practical clothing made from animal hides or woven materials, such as a small tunic and leggings, suitable for a child living on the Canadian prairies. Wears soft moccasins.
Wants: To escape his cruel stepmother, to survive, and to reunite with his father.
Flaw: His youth and vulnerability to the stepmother's cruelty.
Transforms from a frightened child into a powerful magician, learning to use magic for survival and eventually becoming a great figure in his tribe.
Frightened, obedient, resourceful (remembering the gifts), resilient, eventually powerful.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young Blackfeet Indian boy, child, running, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a thin build, dark eyes wide with fear, a round face, and short dark hair. He wears a simple hide tunic and leggings, with soft moccasins. He clutches a small stick in one hand. His expression is terrified. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Girl (Indian Child) ◆ supporting
A young Blackfeet Indian girl, likely thin from hardship. She would possess the graceful agility of a child raised on the prairies.
Attire: Simple, practical clothing made from animal hides or woven materials, such as a small dress or tunic and leggings, suitable for a child living on the Canadian prairies. Wears soft moccasins.
Wants: To escape her cruel stepmother, to survive, and to reunite with her father.
Flaw: Her youth and vulnerability to the stepmother's cruelty.
Transforms from a frightened child into a powerful magician, learning to use magic for survival and eventually becoming a great figure in her tribe.
Frightened, obedient, resourceful (remembering the gifts), resilient, eventually powerful.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young Blackfeet Indian girl, child, running, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has a thin build, dark eyes wide with fear, a delicate face, and long dark hair in two braids. She wears a simple hide dress and leggings, with soft moccasins. She clutches a small white stone in one hand. Her expression is terrified. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The First Wife (Vision) ◆ supporting
Appears as a vision, suggesting an ethereal or glowing form. She would retain the features of a Blackfeet woman, perhaps with a serene or sorrowful beauty.
Attire: Ethereal, flowing garments that suggest traditional Blackfeet attire but are made of light or mist, perhaps with subtle, glowing patterns.
Wants: To protect her children and her former husband from the cruel stepmother.
Flaw: As a spirit, she cannot directly intervene physically, only through dreams and visions.
Serves as a guiding force, providing crucial information and magical solutions, ultimately helping her family survive and her husband ascend to become the Sun.
Caring, protective, wise, prophetic, benevolent.
Image Prompt & Upload
An ethereal Blackfeet woman, ageless, appearing as a luminous, translucent figure, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has a serene face, dark, compassionate eyes, and long dark hair flowing around her. She wears flowing, mist-like garments that hint at traditional Blackfeet attire. Her expression is gentle and wise. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Buffalo Bull ○ minor
A large, powerful American Bison (buffalo bull), with a massive, shaggy head and shoulders, dark brown fur, and sharp horns. He would have a muscular, imposing physique.
Attire: None, as an animal.
Wants: To obey the command of the witch's head, to break through the mountain.
Flaw: His brute force is insufficient against magic, leading to his demise.
Briefly appears to aid the witch's head, but is killed by the magical mountain.
Powerful, obedient (to the witch's command), ultimately doomed.
Image Prompt & Upload
A large, powerful American Bison bull, adult, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. It has a massive, shaggy dark brown head and shoulders, sharp horns, and a muscular body. Its expression is determined and aggressive as it charges. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Moles ○ minor
Small, cylindrical-bodied mammals with velvety dark fur, tiny eyes, and large, shovel-like forepaws adapted for digging. They would be quick and efficient underground.
Attire: None, as animals.
Wants: To obey the command of the witch's head, to tunnel through the mountain.
Flaw: Their small size makes them easily overlooked, but their obedience to the witch is a vulnerability.
Briefly appear to aid the witch's head by tunneling through the mountain.
Industrious, obedient (to the witch's command), effective.
Image Prompt & Upload
Three small, dark-furred moles, adult, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe, depicted in various stages of digging. They have cylindrical bodies, tiny eyes, pointed snouts, and large, shovel-like forepaws. Their fur is velvety and dark brown. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Blackfeet Family Dwelling
A simple, traditional Blackfeet lodge (tipi or earth lodge) situated near the bank of a great river on the Canadian prairies. The interior would be humble, with a central fire pit, sleeping areas, and tools for daily life. The entrance is where the magical spider web is hung.
Mood: Initially tense and fearful due to the stepmother's cruelty, later becomes a place of violent confrontation and escape.
The father kills the witch-stepmother here, and the children receive their magic gifts before fleeing.
Image Prompt & Upload
A warm, earthy interior of a traditional Blackfeet earth lodge, with a central fire pit casting flickering light on the timber frame and packed earth walls. Animal hides and woven mats cover parts of the floor. A large, intricate spider web, glowing faintly with magic, is stretched across the entrance opening, partially obscuring the view outside. Soft light filters from the smoke hole above. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Forest Trail with Magical Web
A dense forest trail on the Canadian prairies, likely featuring a mix of coniferous and deciduous trees common to the region, with undergrowth. The trail is where animals pass, and a large, magically potent spider web is hung between trees.
Mood: Initially a place of hope and provision, later becomes a path of escape and transformation.
The father uses the magical spider web to hunt, providing food for the family. It's also the initial escape route for the children.
Image Prompt & Upload
A winding game trail through a dense, early spring forest on the Canadian prairies. Tall pine trees and budding aspens line the path, with patches of melting snow on the ground and emerging green undergrowth. A gigantic, shimmering spider web, intricately woven and glowing with a faint, ethereal light, is stretched between two large tree trunks across the trail. Sunlight filters through the canopy, creating dappled patterns on the forest floor. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Dense Forest Barrier
A suddenly manifested, impossibly dense forest, thick with trees and undergrowth, forming an impenetrable barrier. The trees are so close together that no light penetrates, creating a dark and formidable wall.
Mood: Sudden relief and temporary safety, but also foreboding due to its unnatural appearance.
The children throw a stick, and this forest instantly appears, blocking the pursuing severed head.
Image Prompt & Upload
An impossibly dense wall of coniferous and deciduous trees, their branches and trunks interwoven so tightly that no light penetrates, forming an impenetrable barrier. The ground is a tangle of roots and dark, matted undergrowth. The atmosphere is dark and formidable, a stark contrast to the open prairie beyond. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
White Rock Mountain Barrier
A towering, sheer mountain made entirely of white rock, rising abruptly from the prairie landscape. Its surface is hard and unyielding, with no visible paths or easy ascent.
Mood: Awe-inspiring and seemingly insurmountable, offering a moment of desperate hope.
The children throw a white stone, and this mountain instantly appears, blocking the pursuing head. A buffalo attempts to break it, and moles tunnel through it.
Image Prompt & Upload
A colossal, stark white rock mountain rising abruptly from a vast, green prairie landscape under a clear blue sky. The mountain face is sheer and unyielding, with no visible cracks or vegetation. At its base, a large buffalo bull lies dead, having charged the impenetrable rock. A small, dark tunnel entrance is visible near the base, created by moles. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Black Swamp Barrier
A long, dark, and treacherous swamp, appearing instantly on the prairie. The water is black and still, with soft, deep mud that traps anything that enters.
Mood: Desperate, final, and ultimately victorious, with a sense of dread from the dark, mucky water.
The children throw wet moss, and this swamp appears, finally trapping and destroying the severed head.
Image Prompt & Upload
A long, wide, and utterly black swamp stretching across the open prairie, its surface still and reflecting the grey sky. The water is opaque, hinting at immense depth and soft, sucking mud beneath. Sparse, reedy grasses grow along the edges, but the center is pure, dark, treacherous water. The air feels heavy and still. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
