Ode to Mulan

It turns out that the story of Mulan has a fascinating history of transmission and development. Apparently it traces back to an old Chinese poem, written during the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534). To see the poem in both interactive Chinese and in English, click here.
Here is a stanza from the poem:

Father has no adult son,
Mulan has no older brother.
Wish to buy a saddle and horse,
and serve in Father's place.