Publisher's Synopsis
Mulan Hua (花木兰) is a legendary female warrior of ancient Chinese literature. She is also a legendary figure of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (南北宋, 386--589). Her story is a tragic heroic epic. Mulan first appeared in a narrative poem, Ballad of Mulan (木兰诗), in the Northern and Southern Dynasties. The ancient Chinese warrior believed in filial piety, and her surrogate army defeated the invading people. She is the first known person of Chinese legends, capable of Dragon Miraculous, the supernatural abilities to transform oneself into an animal-themed superhuman. The emperor of the Tang Dynasty (唐朝) called her General Xiaolie (孝烈将军). To date, her story has been passed down through the ages. Although the spread of the story should be attributed to the folk poem "Mulan", Mulan Hua's identity and birthplace have not been confirmed from the historical texts. Nevertheless, Mulan's deeds are represented by a variety of literary and artistic works, such as movies, TV dramas, and operas.
The book has 13 chapters in the following order: Chapter 1: Emperor's Conscription (第一章 皇帝征兵)Chapter 2: Hua Mulan Meets Matchmaker (第二章 花木兰见媒婆)Chapter 3: Mulan Slipping Away from Home (第三章 花木兰从家里溜走)Chapter 4: Mulan at the Barracks (第四章 花木兰初到军营)Chapter 5: New Recruit Training (第五章 新兵训练)Chapter 6: Mulan Got Better (第六章 花木兰越来越厉害了)Chapter 7: Mulan's Secret Bath (第七章 花木兰偷偷洗澡)Chapter 8: Li Xiang (第八章 宰相刁难李翔)Chapter 9: Abandoned Village (第九章 路过废弃山庄被偷袭 )Chapter 10: Mulan's Identity Exposure (第十章 花木兰身份暴露)Chapter 11: Shan Yu (第十一章 花木兰发现单于没死)Chapter 12: Mulan's Fight (第十二章 花木兰智斗单于)Chapter 13: Mulan Gets Awarded (第十三章 花木兰被上帝封赏) The current book volume, Chinese Short Stories 6, is a Level 1 Chinese reading practice book. It would introduce you to the famous Chinese folk story, The Female Mulan Joins the Army in Place of Her Father (花木兰替父从军), of Mulan Hua, China's legendary woman warrior. The 6th volume in the Selected Chinese Short Story Series (中国短篇小说精选) includes both the Chinese text (simplified characters) and pinyin Romanization. With about over 500 unique Chinese characters, the volume would be suitable for the beginners, lower intermediate and advanced level Chinese language learners (HSK 1-6). Overall, the reading series offers you a variety of elementary level books (Level 1/2/3/4/5/6) to understand China as well as practice Chinese reading fast.
