Cuca is one of the most frightening figures in Brazilian folklore and is often used in stories to scare children into behaving. She is usually described as a terrifying witch who appears at night searching for children who refuse to sleep or misbehave.

In many traditional stories, Cuca kidnaps disobedient children and carries them away. Parents have long used her name as a warning, telling children that if they do not go to bed, Cuca will come to get them. Because of this, she often appears in lullabies and popular sayings meant to encourage children to sleep.

The more common version of the legend describes Cuca as a thin, hunched old woman whose main activity is kidnapping children who refuse to sleep and stuffing them into a sack. However, there is another, more imaginative version of the story that adds unusual details to her appearance. In this version, Cuca is portrayed as a creature similar to a dragon or an alligator, often described as an old witch with the face of a crocodile.

Some stories say she lives in a dark cave deep in the forest, where she waits for misbehaving children and keeps those she captures trapped in sacks or cages.

Because of these stories, Cuca became one of the most feared and recognizable figures in Brazilian folklore. For generations, her legend has been used to represent the fear of the dark and the consequences of disobedience.