These tales of faithful servants and faithful relatives nearly always imply the presence, and sometimes active machinations, of their opponents. In a considerable number of folktales the deeds of the wicked are far more than incidental; they constitute the central interest in the story. Already we have seen dozens of such tales in which the adversary of the hero is supernatural. [137] But even his own relatives may have their hands against him. Mothers may plot against sons, sisters against sisters, and even wives against husbands. For some reason, to the composer of folktales, it is the woman in the family who is nearly always chosen for the part of the villain.