The Legend of Mulan

Thanks to Hollywood, many of us around the world grew up with the tale of Mulan, and recently a new version by Disney has introduced it to a new generation. Everyone knows the basic plot: When war comes, and the emperor orders every family to provide one man to serve in the army, Mulan, a young woman, disguises herself as a man and enters the service instead of her aging father, ultimately rising to be a great hero. But what was the original legend? The literary source is "The Ballad of Mula...