Spanish fairy tales

Había una vez una viuda que (there was once/once upon a time there lived a widow who), habiendo perdido a su esposo en la guerra (having lost her husband in the war; perder — to lose), vivía en unión de su único hijo (lived together with her only son: «in union with her only son»). Ambos eran tan trabajadores que (they both were so hard-working that), en pocos años (in a few years), se habían asegurado una existencia holgada (secured /themselves/ a comfortable/well-to-do existence; holgar — to relax; have leisure/free time; holgado — idle; well-to-do), sin que nada les faltase (so that they lacked for nothing: «there was nothing missing»; faltar — to lack).