How can I restore my Macbook Pro to it's original operating system?

I am giving my old Macbook Pro to my mother in law and want to restore it back to factory settings. It was originally OSX6 but has been upgraded to OSX 10.8.3. When I try to use the disk that came with it, I get a message that I cannot use that version. Can I reset it to factory settings (wipe out all of my information) while still keeping the latest version of the OS? If not, is there a way to use the disk to restore it back to OSX 6?
Thank you,

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
OS X Mountain Lion is registered to your Apple and it can only be reinstalled using your Apple ID, so you shouldn't give it to your mother-in-law with Mountain Lion or she will have problems. Instead, reinstall the original Mac OS X version which came with your Mac, in your case, Snow Leopard.
To restore your Mac to factory settings:
1. Insert the Mac OS X Install DVD and hold the C key while your computer is starting to start from the DVD.
2. Choose your language, go to Utilities menu (on the menu bar) > Disk Utility, choose the hard drive at the top of the sidebar, go to Erase tab and erase the drive.
3. Close Disk Utility and reinstall Mac OS X.
When the installation finishes, hold the trackpad while your computer is starting to eject the DVD and turn off the computer, so your mother-in-law will be able to set up the computer as she wants. After setting it up, open  > Software Update and install the most recent version, and use the Applications DVD to install iLife apps

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