It sounds like you're referring to an old, specific version of Minecraft — likely (sometimes typed as "alpha 10 16 02" or similar). This version is notable because it's from the Infdev–Alpha transition period (around late 2010).
: Modern archivists have recovered the exact world seed from that screenshot: 478868574082066804 Coordinates minecraft alpha 10 16 02 top
She gathered flint and wood, then leather for a satchel—simple trades in a world not yet cluttered with enchantments. Her first night was a lesson in humility. Skeletons hung their jawless heads outside her door like watchful birds, and spiders trailed silk across the torchlight. By dawn she had a sword with an edge as sharp as a new idea and a resolve carved from sleeplessness. Alpha 1
If you're looking to revisit this era, the version is widely archived. Her first night was a lesson in humility
Versions like this are often associated with early Herobrine sightings or strange world glitches.
The glitch worked like this: