Mulan was a young woman in ancient China who disguised herself as a man to serve in the army in place of her elderly father. She bravely fought for years without revealing her true identity. When the war ended, the emperor offered her a high ranking government position, but she declined in order to return home. Upon her return, her family and former fellow soldiers were amazed to discover that the honored war hero was actually a woman. The story conveys a message about courage, sacrifice and success.

1. Ancient China
Mulan
花木兰
Retold by Chen Zhu
Illustrated by Phillip Martin

2. Mulan
Cong2qian2, you3ge4
gu1niang2 jiao4
hua1mu4lan2.
Ta1 ba4ba jiao1 ta1
qi2ma3, she4jian4.
Mu4lan2 wu3yi4 hen3 gao1
(good at martial arts).

3. Mulan
You3 yi4tian1, guo2jia1 yao4 zheng1bing1. (call
for soldiers) Mei3jia1 dou1 yao4 you3 ren2 qu4
dang1 bing2. (got to the army)
Mu4lan2 de ba4ba nian2ji4 tai4
da4 le. Mu4lan2 de di4di hen3
yong3gan3, dan4shi4 ta1
nian2ji4 tai4 xiao3 le.
Mu4lan2 jia1 mei2you3
nan2ren2 qu4 da1zhang4.

4. Mulan
Na4shi2hou, nv3hai2 shi4 bu4 da3zhang4 de.
Mu4lan3 you3 le yi2ge4
nian4tou2: wo3
wei4shen2me bu4neng2
zhuang1cheng2 yi4ge4
nan2ren2 ne?
Na4tian1, ta1 mai3le yi4pi1
ma3.

5. Mulan
di4er4tian1 zao3shang,
mu4lan2 chuan1le ta1 ba4ba
de kui1jia3, li2kai1 le jia1, qu4
can1jun1 le.
Mu4lan2 da3 le hen3duo1 nian2
zhang4. Ta1de zhan4you3
(fellow soldiers) mei2you3 ren2
zhi1dao4 ta1 shi4 ge4
gu1niang.

6. Mulan
Zhan4zheng1 jie2shu4 le. Huang2di4 zhao1jian4
(received) le Mu4lan2. Ta1 yao3 gei3 Mu4lan2
zuo4 da4 guan1. Mu4lan2 bu2yao4 zuo4guan1.
Ta1 yao3 le yi4pi1 kuai4 ma3. Ta1 yao4 hui4jia.

7. Mulan
Mu4lan2 hui2gao4 jia1. Ta1de jia1ren2
kan4jian4 ta1, gao1xing4 ji2le. Mu3lan2
chuan1shang4 le piao4liang de yi1fu,
tu2shang4 le yan1zhi1. (rouge)
Ta1 bian4cheng2 le yi2ge4 fei1chang2
mei3li4 de gu1niang.

8. Mulan
Bu4jiu3, ta1de zhan4you3 lai2 kan4 ta1. Ta1men
kan4dao4 le mei3li4 de Mu4lan2, jing1dai1 le.
(dumbfounded)
Ta1de gu4shi4 chuan2 bian4
le zhong1guo2. Ru2guo3 ni3
hen3 ai4 ni3de jia1ren2, ni3
you4 yong3gan3, ni3
shen2me shi4 dou1 neng2
cheng2gong1! (succeed)