Mulan · The Original Ballad · 3 Hour Sleep Story to Fall Asleep

A slow, calm 3 hour storybook sleep story to help you fall asleep and stay asleep. Tonight the storyteller opens the old book to the Ballad of Mulan, the short poem from the Northern Wei dynasty that began the whole legend, told long and slow. A daughter at her loom hears the army lists calling her father's name, so she buys a horse at one market, a saddle at another, a bridle at a third, a long whip at the fourth, and rides north in his place. Twelve years she serves, and her comrades never know. When the emperor offers her any reward she can name, she asks only for a swift horse home, and the ballad closes with its famous gentle riddle, two hares running side by side through the grass.Settle in, close your eyes, and let it drift over you. The pacing is slow, the voice is soft, and the music never spikes. There is a war at the far edges of it, but it stays at the edges; the story keeps its eyes on the loom, the river, the mountain road, and the long ride home. There is nothing here to fear. You do not have to watch. You do not have to remember any of it in the morning.Episode 9 of 12 · The Storybook SeasonWhere this sits: Part 9 of 12 in The Storybook Season, one storyteller, one lantern, and one complete famous tale each night, each told from its original source. Tonight, the daughter who rode twelve years in her father's place. Every episode stands on its own, and any night is a fine night to begin.Chapters:0:00 Welcome3:15 The Loom That Faced the Door8:57 Twelve Scrolls of Paper15:54 The Four Markets26:22 The Yellow River Nights34:53 The Horses of the Black Mountain41:46 Ten Thousand Miles Like Flying50:37 Twelve Winters, Twelve Springs58:29 The Hall of Light1:04:56 The Road Home1:12:39 The Dress by the Window1:20:18 The Two Hares1:27:56 Goodnight. And the Lamp at the Edge of MorningWatch the illustrated version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSleepingAlmanacNew episodes every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.🕯 Sleep stories from history, Kingdoms at Dusk: https://kingdomsatdusk.com📜 All our worlds: https://gildenmyth.com🕊 Goddess sleep meditations, The Tender Hour: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTenderHourChannel🌙 Join the almanac, first looks and the occasional quiet letter: https://gildenmyth.comThis show uses AI tools (research, narration, visuals) under human editorial direction. Every episode is reviewed before release.