At Mount Ephraim there dwelt a man, named Elkanah, with his good wife,
Hannah.
These good people had one son, Samuel, whom they loved with great
tenderness. He was their only child; but, though they loved him so, they
carried him when he was yet a tiny boy to the temple and left him with
the holy priests.
"Here is my child," the good mother said. "I give him now to our God,
the God of Israel. So long as he lives shall he be the Lord's."
Then the priest, Eli, took the child and blessed it, and blessed the
mother too; and Samuel grew up a true, honest boy, and came in time to
be himself a holy priest.
One night, when Samuel lay upon his bed, he heard a voice calling,
"Samuel, Samuel!"
"Here am I, Eli," Samuel answered; for he thought it was the voice of
the priest.