One night as Samuel lay awake in his little bed, he heard a voice calling, ‘Samuel!’

The boy thought that Eli had called to him. He ran on tip-toe to the old priest’s bedside, and said, ‘Here am I.’

Eli thought that the boy had been dreaming, and said kindly, ‘I did not call thee, my child. Go, lie down again in thy bed.’

So Samuel lay down again. After a little time, he heard the voice calling again, ‘Samuel!’

Samuel felt sure that Eli had called him, so he went to his master, and said again, ‘Here am I.’

Once more Eli said, ‘I did not call thee, my child. Go, lie down again.’

Samuel lay down again in his little bed, but soon the voice called him once more, ‘Samuel!’

The boy was certain this time that Eli had called him. As before, he went to the old man’s bedside, and said, ‘Here am I.’

By this time, Eli knew that Samuel was not dreaming. He knew that the voice which had called the lad was God’s voice.

Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down and if the voice calls again, say, “Speak, Lord, for Thy servant hearth.”

For the fourth time, Samuel lay down, and for the fourth time the voice called ‘Samuel!’

This time little Samuel said, as Eli had told him, ‘Speak, Lord, for Thy servant hearth.’

Then God spoke to Samuel and told him many things.

When the little temple-boy grew up, he lived a very holy life and became a leader of his people. Some day you will read the story of this famous man in the part of the Bible which is called The Book of Samuel.