When Samuel was a little boy, he lived with a kind old priest named Eli, who looked after him and taught him about God. During the day, many people would come to the temple to pray and to bring their gifts for God to Eli, the priest, but at night everything was very still and quiet. One night, Samuel woke up when he heard a voice calling his name. He thought Eli was calling him, but Eli was asleep. Do you know who was calling him?

*“Samuel. Samuel.”

“Listen, little Samuel, I’m a calling, can you tell? Can you tell?
“In your sleep I speak to you. Samuel, I’m a calling you.”

In the quiet of the night, Samuel went to Eli.
“Here am I, what do you want?”
Eli said, “I called you not.”

Samuel went back to bed, but soon again the same voice said,
“Listen, little Samuel, I’m a calling you, can you tell?”

In the middle of the night, Samuel went to Eli.
“Here am I, what do you want?”
Eli said, “I called you not.”

Samuel went back to bed, but woke again when the same voice said,
“Listen, little Samuel, I’m a calling you, can you tell?”

For a third time in the night, Samuel went to Eli.
“Here am I, what do you want?”
Eli said, “I called you not.”

“Back to bed now, quietly, and if the Lord is calling thee,
“Say to Him, ‘Lord, speak to me, for Thy servant heareth Thee.’”

Little Samuel went to bed, and laid down on his pillow.
In the nighttime, still and sweet,
Samuel went back to sleep. [Ssssh!]

“Listen, little Samuel, I’m a calling, can you tell? Can you tell?
“In your sleep I speak to you. Samuel, I’m a calling you.”

“Yes, dear Lord, I’m listening well. You’re a calling, I can tell. Now I can tell.
“Here am I, please speak to me,
“For Thy servant heareth Thee.”

Listen, children, listen well, when He’s calling, you can tell. You can tell.
Say, “Dear Lord, please speak to me,
“For Thy servant heareth Thee.”