A Letter to God by G. L. Fuentes

Class 10 - English - First Flight - A Letter to God - Solution

The theme of the Story

The story is about a diligent farmer named Lencho who is hoping for a successful harvest if it rains. When the rain does come, followed by a devastating hailstorm, Lencho turns to God for help. He writes a letter to God asking for 100 pesos, which is enough to replant his crops. The postman and postmaster come across the letter and, in an act of kindness, collect money from their employees to send Lencho 70 pesos. Despite his initial joy, Lencho becomes upset when he realizes the missing 30 pesos and accuses the post office employees of being dishonest.

The tale highlights Lencho's unwavering faith in God, the generosity of the postmaster and employees, and the innocence of the farmer. However, it also conveys that even acts of kindness may go unrecognized and one may be mistakenly perceived as dishonest.

Short Summary

1. Lencho a Farmer: Lencho was a farmer. His house was the only one in the entire valley It was on the top of a hill. His fields needed a good harvest. He was looking towards the sky hoping for a rain. During the meal, big drops of rain began to fall. He went out to feel the rain on his body.

2. Raindrops Like Coins: Lencho was satisfied. The drops of rain were like the coins. The big drops were ten cent pieces and the little ones were worth five each. Suddenly, a strong wind began to blow Lencho was worried.

3. Hailstorm: Along with the rain came very large hailstones. They truly did resemble silver coins. The house, the fields and the hill-side were covered with the white hails. Not a leaf remained on the trees. The corn was totally destroyed. So were the flowers. Lencho was sorrowful. They would have no corn that year.

4. Only Hope; Help from God: Lencho thought that there was only one hope. It was the help from God. The following Sunday, he wrote a letter to God. He wrote that if he did not help, his whole family would die. He needed a hundred pesos in order to sow his field again and to live until the new crop came. He wrote 'To God' on the envelope, placed stamp on it and dropped it into the mailbox.

5. Strange Address: One of the postmen who read the address laughed heartily and took it to the postmaster. The postmaster was quite a friendly and pleasant man. He too broke out laughing. But soon he became serious. He realised that the sender of the letter had a great faith in God. He didn't want to shake the writer's faith in God. He decided to answer the letter.

6. Help from the Postmaster: The generous postmaster collected money from his employees. He himself gave a part of his salary. He put seventy pesos, all the money he could collect, in an envelope and sent it to Lencho by mail.

7. Lencho's Anger Against Post Office Employees: Lencho had a firm and unshaken faith in God. He did expect help from God. When he received the money, he was not surprised. But his happiness was just for some moments. When he counted the money, he became very angry. He believed that God never deceive him. Immediately, he wrote a second letter to God and posted it. The postmaster opened the letter eagerly. Lencho wrote that he received seventy pesos that had been sent by God. He requested God to send him the rest of the money. He asked God not to send the money through the mail. The post-office employees were a bunch of crooks'.

Character Sketch

1. Lencho: Lencho is the main character in the story "A Letter to God" written by G. L. Fuentes. He is a hard-working farmer who lives a simple and honest life. Despite facing adversity and the destruction of his crops by a hailstorm, Lencho holds an unwavering faith in God. He demonstrates his belief in divine intervention by writing a letter to God asking for help. Lencho is depicted as an innocent and hopeful individual who places his trust in a higher power. He is determined and resourceful, as evidenced by his willingness to replant his crops if he received the funds he asked for in his letter. Despite his disappointment when he receives only 70 pesos, Lencho remains virtuous, and writes to God again for remaining 30 pesos. In short, Lencho is a faithful, determined, and virtuous person who represents the resilience and hope of the rural community and their unwavering faith in God.

2. Postmaster: The postmaster has all that is good in human thinking and behaviour. He has thorough understanding of a sharp, sympathetic and sensitive mind. He knows how the mind of a God-fearing rustic like Lencho works. He doesn't want to break the deep faith of Lencho in God. First, he laughed at the man who wanted to have a direct correspondence with God. After reading the letter, he was deeply moved and impressed by Lencho's faith in God. He knew that merely goodwill was not sufficient. The farmer needed financial help. So he collected a sum of 70 pesos from his employees. He also contributed a part of his salary and sent the money to Lencho.

3. The Post Office Employees: The post-office employees make every effort to help Lencho. They believed that only an innocent and foolish farmer can write a letter to God. They were considerate and full of compassion. They wondered at the faith of the man who wrote that letter. But they contributed something for an act of charity'. They couldn't collect the hundred pesos but sent only seventy pesos to Lencho. Only a single word was written as a signature: 'God'.

NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS SOLVED

Oral Comprehension Check(Page 5)

Question 1. What did Lencho hope for?

Answer:
Lencho hoped for rain because his fields needed rain. 

Question 2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like 'new coins'?

Answer:

Lencho said it because rain would bring good harvest which in turn will bring money for Lencho.

Question 3. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho's fields?

Answer: 

The rain changed into hailstones. Lencho's whole crop was completely destroyed.

Question 4. What were Lencho's feelings when the hail stopped? 

Answer: 

Lencho became very sad due to the hailstorm.

Oral Comprehension Check(Page 6)

Question 1. Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do? 

Answer: 

Lencho had a deep faith in God. So, he wrote a letter to God asking for 100 pesos. 

Question 2. Who read the letter?

Answer:

The postman saw the letter and he took it to the postmaster. The postmaster read the letter and was impressed to see Lencho's faith in God.

Question 3. What did the postmaster do then? 

Answer: 

The postmaster collected money from his employees and gave a part of his salary and sent the money to Lencho.

Oral Comprehension Check (Page 7) 

Question 1. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it? 

Answer: 

No, Lencho was not surprised. He had a very strong faith in God.

Question 2. What made him angry?

Answer:

When he received 30 pesos less than he asked from God, he became angry thinking post office employees might have stolen the missing money.

Thinking About the Text (Page 7)

Question 1. Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this? 

Answer: 

Lencho has complete and unshaken faith in God. He hopes that God will help him and his family from dying of starvation. So, he writes a letter to God. The line Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God, whose eyes as he had been instructed, see everything, even what is deep in one's conscience" proves it. 

Question 2. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter 'God"?

Answer: 

The postmaster is a generous and noble person. He knows that sender of the letter, Lencho, has a deep faith in God. He doesn't want to shake the writer's faith in God. So, he decides to send money to him. He signs the letter 'God' so that it may assure Lencho that the money has really been sent by God to help him. 

Question 3. Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not? 

Answer: 

No, Lencho didn't try to find out who had sent the money to him. He had an unshaken faith in God. He expected a definite help from Him. So, he showed no surprise when he received the money neither did he try to find out the sender.

Q4. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation? 

(Remember that the irony of a situation is an unexpected aspect of it. An ironic situation is strange or amusing because it is the opposite of what is expected.)

Answer: 

Lencho considers that the post-office employees are a bunch of crooks. They have taken the rest of the money. The ending of the story is ironical. The postmaster and his employees who contributed to collect seventy pesos to help Lencho are thought to be cheats by him.

Q5. Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is? You may select appropriate words from the box to answer the question.

Answer:

It takes all sorts of people to make this world. Though people like Lencho are rare but they do exist in this world. He is a person who has an unshaken faith in God. He can be called a "naive' 'unquestioning' and even 'stupid'.

Question 6. There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?

Answer: 

There are two type of conflicts in the story. The conflict between humans and nature is illustrated by the fall of huge hailstones. The rain does come but comes accompanied by hailstones that destroy everything leaves, trees and fields. The other conflict is among humans themselves. The postmaster and his employees who collect money to help Lencho are ironically considered to be a bunch of crooks by him.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS SOLVED

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1. Where was Lencho's house situated?

Answer: 

Lencho was a farmer. His house was the only one in the valley. It was situated on the top of a low hill overlooking the valley. From this height, he could see the river. He could also see his fields of ripe corn dotted with flowers. The flowers always promised a good harvest. 

Question 2. What did Lencho and the earth need immediately?

Answer: 

The only thing the earth needed was rain. Lencho, being a farmer wished for a heavy rain. At least, a shower was necessary His fields needed water immediately otherwise the crop would be completely ruined. So, he would constantly look at the sky towards the north-east.

Question 3. How did the rain come as predicted by Lencho and how did he receive it? 

Answer: Lencho's wife was preparing supper. The older boys were working in the field. It was during the meal, in the north- east huge mountains of clouds could be seen approaching. Then, as Lencho had predicted, big drops of rain began to fall. Lencho went out to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body. To him, the rain drops were like the new coms. 

Question 4. Why were the rain drops like new coins for Lencho?

Answer: 

Lencho had been impatiently waiting for the rain. The earth needed a downpour immediately. At least, a shower was necessary to save the crops. Fortunately for Lencho, in the north-east huge of clouds could be seen approaching. Big drops of rain began to fall. Every drop was precious for the fields and the crops. The bigger drops were worth ten cent pieces and the little ones were fives.

Question 5. Why did Lencho's happiness change into deep concern?

Answer: 

As Lencho had predicted the rain did came. At the meal time, it came in the form of big drops. Naturally, the rain gladdened his heart. He could see better prospects of a good crop. However, his happiness was short lived. Suddenly, a strong wind began to blow. The rain turned into big hailstones. The falling of heavy ball of big hailstones for an hour completely alley. destroyed everything- leaves, trees and the standing crops. Naturally, such a heavy loss put Lencho into a deep concern.