The Slave Mother facts for kids

The Slave Mother is an Italian fairy tale. It was collected by Italo Calvino in his book Italian Folktales. The story comes from a place called Terra d'Ortano.

The Story of The Slave Mother

This fairy tale tells the story of a family and a special choice. It shows how love and family connections can last a long time.

A Family's Choice

Once upon a time, there was a family of tenant farmers. A tenant farmer is someone who rents land to grow crops. This couple had five sons. One day, the mother heard an owl ask her a strange question. The owl asked if she would rather be rich when she was young or when she was old.

The mother talked about it with her husband. They decided it would be better to be rich in their old age. Soon after this, the mother went out to gather some green plants for a salad. While she was out, she was captured by pirates. The family was very sad and missed her a lot. But they had to keep going with their lives.

A New Life and a Surprise

About two years later, the family found a hidden treasure in their fields. They carefully moved the treasure and decided to leave their farm. They moved to a big city to live a much better life.

One day, the sons wanted to buy a young woman who was a slave. In the past, some people were bought and sold to work for others. The father did not agree. He said they should buy an older woman who was a slave, because she would know how to manage a house.

He found an older woman and bought her. They gave her new clothes and put her in charge of their home. But the old woman would sigh sadly every time she saw the five sons.

The Mother's Return

One day, the father asked the old woman why she sighed so much. She explained that she once had five sons herself. She told him that she had been taken by pirates while gathering greens for a salad.

The old man suddenly realized who she was. She was his wife! They were so happy to have her back. Just as they had wished, she lived her old age in wealth and comfort with her family.