In their cultural notes in Sing Chinese, Cindy Mao and Ma Baolin state that this is one of China's most popular nursery rhymes. It can be either recited or sung. It originates from a Chinese folk tale about a little rabbit whose mother goes out to fetch fruit. Whenever she comes back, she sings a song to announce her return. One day a wolf overheard the song and came to the little rabbit's house singing, but the little rabbit recognised the difference in the voice and refused to open the door.

Verse 1.
(Wolf)Dear little rabbit, open the door.	(láng) xiāo tù er guai bá mén kāi kāi
Hurry up let me inside	kuài kuài kāi mén wǒ yào jìn lái
(Little rabbit) I will not open the door.	(xiǎo tù) bù kāi bù kāi wǒ bù kāi
Mama is not back I won't let you in.	mā ma méi huí lái shuí lái yě bù kāi.
Verse 2.
(Mother rabbit) Open the door fast	(tù māma) xiǎo tù'r guāiguai bǎ mén kāi kāi
Hurry up Mama is back	kuài kuài kāi kāi māma yào jìnlái
(Little rabbit) I will open it very fast	(xiǎo tù) kuài kāi kuài kāi kuài kuài kāi
Mama is back I'll open the door fast.	māma huíjái le kuài kuài bǎ mén kāi.