古時候有個姑娘叫花木蘭，
聰明伶俐更勇敢。
她織的布匹實在好，
家人親鄰都誇讚。
有一年外族入侵情勢緊，
邊境告急文書傳，
朝廷下了征兵令，
不管老年與少年。
木蘭父親年已邁，
也要應征上前線。
木蘭心中似火燒，
怨恨自己不是男。
小弟如今還年幼，
此事急迫怎麼辦？
好木蘭思考一番主意定，
決定自己女扮男，
毅然代父去從軍，
出生入死十三年！
身經百戰軍功立，
敵軍聞名魂魄散。
立下功勞不受賞，
要求早日返家園。
木蘭回到家中後，
脫去戰袍紅裝換。
戰友們前來探望全驚呆，
方知木蘭是嬋娟。
古樂府有《木蘭詩》，
木蘭故事記周全。
這首詩結尾幾句寫得好：
“雄兔腳撲朔，
雌兔眼迷離。
雙兔傍地走，
安能辨我是雄雌。”
大意是，雌雄兔子雖有別，
跑動起來難分辨。
也形容事物錯綜複雜時，
真真假假難分辨。
Complicated and Confusing
In ancient times there was a girl named Hua Mulan，who was bright，smart and brave。She spun good cloth on the loom，and her neighbours all praised her up to the moon。One year an alien country invaded their country and the situation was very tense。The front passed to them urgent messages，and the emperor released a decree。Military conscription was levied regardless of age，old or young。
Mulan's father was an old man，and he too was supposed to go to the front。Mulan was worried in her heart，and wished she had been a boy。Her younger brother，however was too young，but what was to be done about this urgency？