One day the woman heard an owl ask her whether she would rather be rich while young or in old age.
They smuggled it off, gave up the farm, and went to the city to live a fine life.
One day the sons wanted to buy a beautiful young slave girl.
The father refused, saying they should buy an old slave woman, who knew how to work.
The old man asked her one-day, and she explained that she had once had five sons, but she had been taken by pirates while gathering greens for salad.