밤에 들려온 음성

The Lamp in the Dark

Aran had lived in the temple since he was a very small boy. His mother had once promised him to God's service, and so he remained there faithfully. The quiet temple was the only home that he had ever truly known. By day he carried jars of water and folded the priests' robes with quiet care. Each night, before the great lamp burned low, he swept the cool stone floors. The old priest, Eli, could no longer see well, so Aran became his patient eyes. The boy loved the silent hours, when the courtyard held only shadows and pale starlight. Still, he sometimes wondered whether God ever noticed one small and ordinary helper.

The Voice

One night, while the lamp still glimmered faintly, a gentle voice called his name. "Aran," it said again, sounding clear and kind across the deep sleeping dark. He sat up at once and hurried to the old priest's narrow little room. "Here I am," he whispered, certain that Eli had surely called for him. But the priest, still half asleep, shook his head very slowly in the dark. "I did not call you, my child; go back now and rest." Then the old man drifted quietly back into a deep and untroubled sleep. Confused, Aran returned to his mat and pulled the thin blanket close around him.