A Letter to God

A. Authors Information

Gregorio Lopez Y Fuentes was born on July 11,

1897, at Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. At his
teen age, he worked on cargo ships that went out
of the Canary Island to Trinidad and Puerto
Rico. He first went to sea as a deck boy with
his father at the age of ten. He also went to the
Spanish parts of Valencia and Sevilla to South
America. Finally he migrated permanently to Cuba at an age of twenty-
two. Gregorio Lopez Fuentes, a lifelong cigar smoker, left the world in
2002 at the age of 105 years. At that time he was suffering from cancer.

B. Introduction of the lesson

An extremely hard working man named Lencho was a farmer by

profession. He was really very innocent and worked to an extreme. Yet,
his crops was destroyed due to heavy hailstorm. He had a blind faith in
God. He thought that God would surely help him by sending some
money so that he could survive in this difficult situation. With this
thought he wrote a letter to God in which he asked God to send some
money. First the letter was received at the post-office, the post master
read Lencho’s letter addressed to God. It sounded strange yet seeing the
faith of Lencho he and the other postmen of the post-office extended
their hands to help Lencho. They collected some money which was
actually not sufficient and kept the collected sum into an envelope. The
next Sunday, Lencho arrived to check whether there was any letter for
him. The master handed over the envelope to him. On opening the
envelope he found the cash. But it was less than what he had made a
demand for. In an angry mode he wrote another letter to God. In this
letter he requested God to send him the remaining amount directly not
through post office because the post-office employees were a bunch of
crooks.

C. Theme of the Story

This is a story of a hard-working farmer Lencho. He is expecting a good

harvest this year if it rains. The rain does come bringing brief happiness.
However, a hailstorm follows the rain destroying all his crops. Being
deeply hurt, he looks toward God. Having an unshaken faith in God he
writes a letter to Him demanding one hundred pesos. This amount is
sufficient enough to sow his crop again. He posts it. The postman has a
hearty laugh when he reads it and shows it to the postmaster. The
postmaster, being a generous man, decides to help Lencho. He gives a
part of his salary and collects money from the employees. He sends
seventy pesos to Lencho. Lencho’s happiness was momentary when he
counts the money. God can’t deceive him, it is the work of post office
employees. He writes another letter to God asking Him not to send the
remaining 30 pesos by mail as post office employees are a ‘bunch of
crooks’.
The lesson shows three things. It shows Lencho’s firm faith in God. His
faith is rewarded through the helpers are human beings. Secondly, it
shows the utter innocence of the farmer, Lencho. Thirdly, the lesson
gives a message that sometimes even your generosity is not recognised.
You may not get any credit for your generosity and kindness. But on the
other hand, you may be misunderstood as a ‘bunch of crooks’.

D. Short Summary

Lencho was a dedicated agriculturist. He was expecting a decent harvest

yet sadly; a hail storm came and destroyed his harvest totally. Lencho
was very sad he had a strong belief in God. He was sure that God would
definitely help him. He was an extremely straightforward man. He
composed a letter to God. In the letter, he asks God to send him one
hundred pesos. At that point, he went to the post office and put the letter
into the post box,
The postman removed the letter from the letter-box. He read the address
on it and laughed badly when he rushed to the postmaster and
demonstrated to him that strange letter. The postmaster also chuckled in
the same way when he saw the address of God. When he read the letter,
he got very serious. He lauded this man who had extraordinary
confidence in God.
He decided to help him. He asked the employees of the post office to
give money. He gave a part of-of his salary. But they were able to
collect only a little more than half the money requested for by Lencho.
The postmaster put the money in an envelope and addressed it to
Lechno. Next Sunday, Lencho came again to the post-office. He asked if
there was any letter for him. The postmaster took out the letter and gave
it to Lencho. Lencho was not surprised at seeing the money. But when
he counted the money, he became angry. He thought that God could not
have made a mistake. He took paper and ink and wrote another letter to
God. Then he put the letter into the letter-box.
After Lencho had gone, the postmaster and the employees read the letter.
Lencho had complained to God that he had received only seventy pesos.
This time he requested God to send him the rest of the money also. But
he asked God not to send the money through the mail. He wrote that the
post-office employees were a bunch of crooks.

E. Detailed Summery

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 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 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. Raining of Huge Hailstones: 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. Single 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
a 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 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 could 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’.

F. Oral Comprehension Check

Page 5

Question 1.
What did Lencho hope for?
Answer:
Lencho hoped for a good rain as it was much needed for a good harvest.

Question 2.
Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?
Answer:
Lencho compared the raindrops with new coins because they were
promising him a good harvest resulting in more prosperity.
Question 3.
How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?
Answer:
The rain changed into hailstones as a strong wind began to blow and
huge hailstones began to fall alongwith the rain. All the crops in
Lencho’s field got destroyed because of the weather conditions.

Question 4.
What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?
Answer:
Lencho was filled with grief after the hail stopped as everything was
ruined and there was nothing that he could feed his family with. He
could see a bleak future for him and his family.

Page 6
Question 5.
Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
Answer:
Lencho had firm faith in God. He believed ‘ that God sees everything,
even what is deep in one’s conscience and help everyone in one’s
problems. He wrote a letter to God demanding him a hundred pesos to
sow his field again.

Question 6.
Who read the letter?
Answer:
Postmaster read the letter.

Question 7.
What did the postmaster do after reading a letter?
Answer:
The postmaster laughed when he read
Lencho’s letter but soon he became serious and was moved by the
writer’s faith in God. He didn’t want to shake Lencho’s faith. So, he
decided to collect ,money and send it to Lencho on behalf of God.

Page 7
Question 8.
Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
Answer:
Lencho was not surprised to find a letter with money from God as he
believed that God will help him.

Question 9.
What made Lencho angry?
Answer:
There were only seventy pesos in the envelope whereas Lencho had
demanded a hundred pesos. The difference in the amount made him
angry.

G. Thinking about the Text (Page 7,8)

Question 1.
Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story
tell you this?
Answer:
Lencho has complete faith in God as he is instructed that God knows
everything and helps us in our problems. There are few sentences which
show this

• But in the hearts of all who lived in that solitary house in the middle
of the valley, there was a single hope help from God.
• All through the night, 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.
• “God”, he wrote, “if you don’t help me, my family and I will go
hungry this year”.
• He wrote ‘To God’ on the envelope, put the letter inside and still
troubled, went to town.
• God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied
Lencho what he had requested.

Question 2.
Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the
letter God?
Answer:
The postmaster sends money to Lencho in order to keep
Lencho’s faith in God alive and firm as he was completely moved by it.
When postmaster reads the letter of Lencho to God, he becomes serious
and does not want to shake his faith and decides to answer the letter. He
gathers money with the help of his post office employees and friends on
behalf of God and signs the letter ‘God’ so that Lencho’s faith does not
get shaken.

Question 3.
Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why or why
not?
Answer:
Lencho did not try to find out who had sent the money to him because he
never suspected the presence of God and had complete faith in God. He
could not believe that it could be – anybody else other than him who
would send him the money.
His faith in God was so strong that he believed that he had sent money to
him for his help in his problem.

Question 4.
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 thinks that the post office employees have taken the rest of the
money as he had demanded a hundred pesos from God and in the letter
there was only seventy pesos and God cannot make such a mistake. So,
he assumes that they have stolen the money.
The irony in this situation is that Lencho suspects those people who
helped him in his problem and tried to keep his faith alive in God.

Question 5.
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.

• Greedy
• Naive
• Stupid
• Ungrateful
• Selfish
• Comical
• Unquestioning

Answer:
It is almost impossible to find a person like Lencho as he is an
unquestioning and naive kind of person. He is not stupid if he doesn’t
know who has sent him money or a letter will reach God without any
address. It is Lencho’s faith in God. In real world, people are selfish and
greedy and Lencho is totally lovable and different.

Question 6.
illustrated by the destruction of Lencho’s crop by the hailstorm as
Lencho was expecting a good rain to have good harvest as that was the
only hope he had for his earning. He worked so hard to feed his family,
but nature turned violent and destroyed everything.
Conflict between Humans and Humans: The story also illustrated
another conflict, between humans themselves as the postmaster
alongwith his friends and staff sent Lencho money that Lencho
demanded from God although they didn’t know Lencho. Lencho blamed
them for taking away some amount of money. He called them “a bunch
of crook”. This shows that man does not have faith in other man, thereby
giving rise to this conflict.
H. Thinking about Language (Page 8,9,10,11)

1. There are different names in different parts of the world for storms,
depending on their nature. Can you match the names in the box with
their descriptions below, and fill in the blanks?

• gale,
• whirlwind,
• cyclone,
• hurricane,
• tornado,
• typhoon.

Question 1.
A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle c__.
Answer:
cyclone

Question 2.
An extremely strong wind __ a __.
Answer:
gale

Question 3.
A violent tropical storm with very strong wind __ p __.
Answer:
typhoon
Question 4.
A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel __n__.
Answer:
tornado

Question 5.
A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the Western
Atlantic Ocean __ r__.
Answer:
Hurricane

Question 6.
A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and
causes a lot of damage __l__.
Answer:
whirlwind

Question 7.
Match the sentences in column A with the meaning of ‘hope’ in column
B.
Answer:

1. (b)
2. (e)
3. (a)
4. (f)
5. (d)
6. (c)
3. Join the sentences given below using who, whom, whose, which, as
suggested.
Question 1.
I often go to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India,
(which)
Answer:
I often go to Mumbai which is the commercial capital of India.

Question 2.
My mother is going to host a TV show on cooking. She cooks very well,
(who)
Answer:
My Mother who cooks very well, is going to host a TV show on
cooking.

Question 3.
These sportsperson are going to meet the President. Their performance
has been excellent, (whose)
Answer:
These sportspersons, whose performance has been excellent, are going
to meet the President.

Question 4.
Lencho prayed to God. His eyes see into our minds, (whose)
Answer:
Lencho prayed to God, whose eyes see into our minds.

Question 5.
This man cheated me. I trusted him. (whom)
Answer:
This man whom I trusted cheated me.

4. Find sentences in the story with negative words, which express the
following ideas emphatically.
(a) The trees lost all their leaves.
(b) The letter was addressed to God himself.
(c) The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.
Answer:
(a) Not a leaf remained on the trees.
(b) It was nothing less than a letter to God.
(c) Never in his career as a postman had he seen that address.

I. Extract Based Questions and Answers

Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow.

1. The house—the only one in the entire valley—sat on the crest of a
low hill. From this height, one could see the river and the field of ripe
corn dotted with the flowers that always promised a good harvest. The
only thing the earth needed was a downpour or at least a shower.
Throughout the morning Lencho who knew his fields intimately had
done nothing else but see the sky towards the north-east.
(a) What did the earth need?
(b) What did Lencho do throughout the morning?
(c) Why had Lencho kept looking towards the north-east?
(d) What promised a good harvest?

Ans. (a) A downpour or a shower.

(b) Lencho waited for the rain.
(c) The rain-clouds were to come from that direction.
(d) The river and the field of ripe corn dotted with the flowers promised
a good harvest.

2. Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money; such
was his confidence—but he became angry when he counted the
money. God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied
Lencho what he had requested.

(a) Why did Lencho get angry?

(b) Who could not have made a mistake in Lencho’s eyes?
(c) Why did Lencho not surprise on seeing the money?
(d) What did Lencho find when he counted the money?

Ans. (a) Lencho got angry to find less money (that he had asked)
(b) God
(c) This was because Lencho had full confidence in God. He had firm
faith in the help of God.
(d) He found only 70 pesos and not 100, the amount he had asked for.

3. The moment the letter fell into the mailbox the postmaster went to
open it. It said: “God: Of the money that I asked for, only seventy
pesos reached me. Send me the rest, since I need it very much. But
don’t send it to me through the mail, because the post office
employees are a bunch of crooks. Lencho”.

(a) What was Lencho thinking while writing the letter?

(b) Why did the postmaster open the mailbox immediately after Lencho
had posted his letter?
(c) How much money had Lencho asked for?
(d) Why did Lencho not want to send the rest of the money by mail?
Ans. (a) He thought that the post office employees had stolen a part of
his money sent by God.
(b) He wanted to see Lencho’s response after receiving the money. He
thought Lencho must have thanked God for sending the money
(c) One Hundred Pesos.
(d) He thought post office employees were dishonest people who had
cheated him.

4. In the north-east huge mountains of clouds could be seen approaching.

The air was fresh and sweet. The man went out for no other reason than
to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body, and when he
returned he exclaimed, “These aren’t raindrops falling from the sky, they
are new coins. The big drops are ten cent pieces and the little ones are
fives.”
(a) Why did Lencho go out in the rain?
(b) Why were the raindrops like `new coins’ for Lencho?
(c) How did these new coins ultimately bring disaster to his cornfield?
(d) Explain the description: ‘The air was fresh and sweet’.

Ans. (a) Lencho went out in the rain to have the happiness of feeling the
rain on his body.
(b) They were like new coins because Lencho thought that it would yield
a good harvest, and help him earn money.
(c) These new coins i.e., rain drops soon turned into hailstones which
destroyed all his crops and ruined his hopes.
(d) The clouds brought cool and sweet smelling air in their wake.
5. “God,” he wrote, “if you don’t help me, my family and I will go
hungry this year. I need a hundred pesos in order to sow my field again
and to live until the crop conies, because of the hailstorm ….”
(a) What help has he asked for?
(b) Why did he need help?
(c) Why did Lencho write a letter to God?
(d) Why was Lencho and his family in distress?

Ans. (a) He has asked for a hundred pesos in order to sow his field
again.
(b) He needed help because the hailstorm had destroyed his crop, and his
family would go hungry.
(c) Lencho’s crops were completely destroyed by the hailstorm. He had
nobody to help but he had faith in God.
(d) Lencho’s crops were completely destroyed by the hailstones. He
feared that he and his family would go hungry.

6. Not a leaf remained on the trees. The corn was totally destroyed. The
flowers were gone from the plants. Lencho’s soul was filled with
sadness. When the storm had passed, he stood in the middle of the field
and said to his sons. “A plague of locusts would have left more than
this.’
(a) Why did no leaf remain on the trees?
(b) How did Lencho feel after the storm?
(c) What was the major effect of the hailstorm on the field?
(d) What made Lencho sad?

Ans. (a) A hailstorm had struck, leaving the field bare.

(b) Lencho was utterly unhappy and distressed.
(c) The corn was totally destroyed.
(d) He was left with no corn to sow and feed his family.

7. With a satisfied expression, he regarded the field of ripe corn with

its flowers, draped in a curtain of rain. But suddenly a strong wind
began to blow and along with the rain very large hailstones began
to fall. These truly did resemble new silver coins. The boys,
exposing themselves to the rain, ran out to collect the frozen
pearls.

(a) How did Lencho feel when he saw his fields covered with the curtain
of rain?
(b) What followed the rain?
(c) What did hailstone resemble?
(d) How did these new silver coins bring disaster to him?

Ans. (a) Lencho felt satisfied.

(b) A strong wind followed the rain.
(c) They resembled with silver coins.
(d) These new silver coins turned into hailstones which destroyed all his
crops and ruined his hopes.
8. All through the night, 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. Lencho was an ox of a man, working
like an animal in the fields but still, he knew how to write. The
following Sunday, at daybreak, he began to write a letter which he
himself would carry to town and place in the mail. It was nothing less
than a letter to God.

(a) What did Lencho think throughout the night?

(b) What does ‘Lencho was an ox of a man’ imply?
(c) Which line suggests that Lencho was literate?
(d) What strange action did Lencho take?

Ans. (a) He thought of one hope—the help of God.

(b) He was very hardworking—he worked like an ox.
(c) “The following Sunday… he began to write a letter ….” This line
suggests that Lencho was literate.
(d) Lencho’s odd action was his letter addressed to God.

9.The postmaster—a fat, amiable fellow also broke out laughing, but
almost immediately he turned serious and tapping the letter on his desk,
commented, “What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote
this letter.”

(a) What was the postmaster’s reaction to seeing the letter?

(b) What did the postmaster wish?
(c) What kind of person was the postmaster?
(d) How did the postmaster help Lencho?

Ans. (a) He first laughed then became serious.

(b) To have as much faith in God as the writer who wrote the letter to
God had.
(c) He was an amiable, kind, pleasant and friendly person.
(d) The postmaster asked his colleagues and friends to contribute some
money as an act of charity. He himself contributed some and mailed it to
Lencho.

J. Main Characters
Character Sketch

1.Lencho:
Lencho was a man of limited means and earned
his living by farming his fields. He had an
unshaken faith in God. He believed that God
always helps people with a clear conscience.
Therefore, when he lost all hopes and he and his
family were on the verge of starvation, he looked
towards God for help. His deep faith in God
even impressed the postmaster who decided to help him.

He was a little educated to write a letter. He shows his innocence by

trying to have a correspondence with God directly.
While he had an unshaken faith in God, he mistrusted easily the motives
of men. He could never know and nor did he ever try to know who had
sent him those seventy pesos to help him. It is quite ironical that he
abused his helpers by calling them ‘a bunch of crooks’.

2. Postmaster:

The postmaster has all that is good in human thinking and behaviour. He
has a 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’.

K. Very Short Answer Type Questions

Q.1. Where was the house’ located?

Ans. ‘The House’ was located on the top of a low hill.

Q.2. Why do you think it is called ‘the’ house and not ‘a house’?
Ans. It is called ‘the house’ and not ‘a house’ because it was the only
house in the entire valley.
Q.3. Why did Lencho keep gazing at the sky?
Ans. Lencho kept gazing at the sky because he wished for rain.

Q.4. How did Lencho feel when it started raining?

Ans. Lencho felt very happy.

Q.5. What was the effect of the rain on the crops?

Ans. His crops were destroyed because of the rain and the storm.

Q.6. Lencho had only one hope. What was it?

Ans. Lencho’s only hope was help from God.

Q.7. Who was Lencho?

Ans. Lencho was a hard-working farmer.

Q.8. What had Lencho been doing throughout the morning?

Ans. He had been looking at the clouds in the northeast throughout the
morning.

Q.9. What did Lencho’s field need badly?

Ans. His fields needed heavy rain badly.
Q.10. What does Lencho call the rain-drops?
Ans. He calls the big rain-drops ten cent pesos and the small rain-drops
five cent pesos.

Q.11. How did Lencho’s field look after the hails had rained?
Ans. The field looked as if covered with salt.

Q.12. What was the effect of the hail storm on tile valley?
Ans. No crop or vegetation was left in the entire Valley.
Q.13. Who did Lencho write a letter to?
Ans. Lencho wrote a letter to God.

Q.14. How much money did Lencho demand from God?

Or
Why did Lencho write a letter to God?
Ans. In his letter, Lencho demanded one hundred pesos from God.

Q.15. How much money did Lencho receive from God?

Ans. He received only seventy pesos from God.

Q.16. Who sent the money to Lencho?

Ans. The postmaster sent the money to Lencho.

Q.17. Why did the post-master decide to answer Lencho’s letter to

God?
Ans. By doing so he wanted to protect Lencho’s faith in God.

Q.18. How did Lencho feel when he counted the money in the
envelope?
Ans. He got angry after counting the money in the envelope.

Q.19. Who does Lencho blame for the loss of thirty pesos in the
envelope?
Ans. He blames the post-office employees for this loss.

Q.20. What does Lencho call the post-office employees?

Or
How did Lencho describe the post-office employees?
Ans. He calls them “a bunch of crooks.”

L. Short Answer Type Important Questions

1. What were tenches feelings when he found the letter with money
in it? What did he do after opening the letter?
Ans. Lencho was not at all surprised to see the money in the letter as he
was fully confident about it. He knew that God will send money to him.
On opening the letter he found seventy pesos instead of a hundred. So,
he wrote another letter to God to send rest of the amount but now not
through the mail as the post office employees were crooks.

2. Whom did Lencho write a letter? What did he ask for?

Ans. When Lencho’s annual crop was completely destroyed due to
heavy rains and hailstorm and there was no one to help hint during the
crisis. At that time Lencho wrote a letter to God.
He wrote the letter requesting Him to send 100 pesos so that he could
sow his fields again till the next crop.
3. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he
sign the letter ‘God’?
Ans. The postmaster was a kind, generous, helpful and God fearing man.
When he received the letter written to God asking for 100 pesos, he felt
sympathetic towards Lencho. Hence, he decided to help Lencho. He
gave a part of his salary and asked the other employees to help. He
signed the letter ‘God’ in order to preserve the man’s faith in God.

4. How far would you agree that one’s positivity can bring in a
spark of brightness even in adverse circumstances’?
Ans. It is absolutely true that optimism can bring about a spark of
brightness even in adverse situations. It was Lencho’s innocent
optimism that eventually led to his getting seventy pesos. In fact, it was
his positivity despite the hailstorm that he even wrote a letter to God in
the first place. His hope finally triumphed.

5. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter with money in it?

Why/Why not?
Ans. Lencho was not at all surprised to receive the envelope with the
money in it because he had utter faith in God. His unshakeable faith
gave him firm confidence.

6. What impression do you form the postmaster after reading the

story ‘A Letter to God’?
Ans. The postmaster was a kind, generous, helpful, amiable and God-
fearing man. He was generous, as he helped Lencho with 70 pesos. He
also wrote a reply to Lencho’s letter in order to maintain his faith in
God.
7. Why was Lencho angry? What did he do?
Ans. Lencho had deep faith in God and hence wrote a letter to God
asking for 100 pesos. But when he received 70 pesos instead of 100, he
was angry. He wrote another letter to God asking him to send the rest of
the money, but not through the post-office as they were a ‘bunch of
crooks’.

8. Lencho calls the raindrops ‘new coins’. Why does he call them so?
Ans. Lencho hoped to get good crops because of raindrops. He thought
he would earn good money so he called them new coins. But raindrops
soon turned into hailstones which destroyed all his crops and ruined his
hopes.

9. Why were Lencho and his family in distress? Whom did he ask
for help?
Ans. Lencho’s crops were completely destroyed by the hailstones. He
feared that he and his family would go hungry. He had no one to help
but he had full faith in God whose eyes see everything. He wrote a letter
to God asking for a hundred pesos to sow the crop and live until the next
harvest.
10.”Now we’re really going to get some water woman.” Is Lencho
sure that it is going to rain? Give a reason for your answer.
Ans. Yes. Lencho is sure that it is going to rain. He needs rain for his
crops. He has been gazing at the sky since morning. He has perhaps seen
some signs of coming rain. True to his prediction. It soon starts raining.

11. What are the raindrops compared to and why?

Ans. It starts raining. Lencho is very happy. He compares the big drops
of rain to ten-cent pieces and the little ones to five-cent pieces. Lencho
needs rain for a good harvest. If he has good crops, he will get money.
That is why he compares the raindrops to coins.

12. Did the letter reach God? Why did the postmaster send a reply
to Lencho?
Ans. No, the letter did not reach God. The postman saw the letter
addressed to God. He took the letter to the postmaster. The postmaster
did not want to shake Lencho’s faith in God. So he sent a reply to
Lencho. He sent seventy pesos to him.

13. Why was Lencho angry when he received the letter?

Ans. Lencho had asked God to send him a hundred pesos. But when he
opened the envelope he found only seventy pesos in it. He thought that
 the post-office employees had taken the rest of the money. So he became
angry when he received the letter.

14. Lencho describes the post office employees as “a bunch of

crooks.”
(1) Were they a bunch of crooks?
(ii) How would you describe them?
Ans. Lencho thought that the post office employees had cheated him.
So he calls them “a bunch of crooks.” But they were not crooks. They
were kind persons. They wanted to help Lencho. So they collected
seventy pesos and sent the money to Lencho by mail.

15.Where was Lencho’s house situated?

Ans. 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.
16. What did Lencho and the earth need immediately?
Ans. The only thing the earth needed was rain. Lencho, being a farmer
wished for heavy rain. At least, a shower was necessary. His fields
needed water immediately otherwise the crop would be completely
mined. So, he would constantly look at the sky towards the north-east.
17. How did the rain come as predicted by Lencho and how did he
receive it?
Ans. 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 raindrops were like the new
coins.

18. Why were the raindrops like new coins for Lencho?
Ans. 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 mountains 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.

19. Why did Lencho’s happiness change into deep concern?

Ans. As Lencho had predicted the rain did come. 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 destroyed everything— leaves, trees and the standing
crops. Naturally, such a heavy loss put Lencho into a deep concern.

20. Describe the loss caused by the heavy fall of hailstones in

general and to Lencho in particular.
Ans. For an hour, the hailstones rained on the house, the garden, the
hillside and the cornfield. Actually, the whole valley was covered with
them. Leaves and flowers were destroyed. Lencho’s fields were covered
with a white layer. The corn was totally destroyed. The hail had left
practically nothing. There was no chance of any corn that year for
Lencho.

21. In the hearts of all who lived in that solitary house …, there
was a single hope ….’ What was that?
Ans. The hail had practically left nothing. The cornfields were totally
destroyed. Lencho and his family would have no corn that year. He
could expect no help from human beings. In the hearts of all who lived
in that solitary house, there was a single hope: help from God. Only God
could save them from such a miserable situation.

22. Why did Lencho think of writing a letter to God? What did he
write in the letter?
 Ans. The hailstones completely destroyed Lencho’s cornfields. They
would have no corn that year. Having lost all hopes, Lencho thought of
writing a letter to God. He requested God to send him a hundred pesos to
sow his fields again. He wrote that he needed money to live until the
new crops came. If God didn’t help, his family would face starvation.

23. What was the address written and how was the letter sent to
God?
Ans. Lencho had an unshaken faith in God and His mercy. Therefore, he
decided to write a letter to God for help. He wrote ‘To God’ on the
envelope and put the letter inside. He went to the post office and placed
a stamp on the letter. Finally, he dropped it into the mailbox.

24. How did the postmaster react when a postman showed him the
letter to God?
Ans. When a postman received Lencho’s letter, he laughed heartily and
took that letter to the postmaster. The postmaster looked at the letter to
God and laughed heartily too. However, he soon grew serious. He was
impressed with the sender’s faith in God who tried to correspond Him.
“What a faith”! he could utter only such words.

25. Why did the postmaster decide to answer Lencho’s letter?

 Ans. After laughing at the very idea of a letter to God, the postmaster
became serious soon. He was impressed with the unshaken faith of the
sender in God. He wished he had the faith of the man who wrote that
letter to God. So, in order not to shake the writer’s faith in God, the
postmaster decided to answer the letter.

26. How did the postmaster answer Lencho’s letter by sending him
the money?
Ans. The postmaster didn’t want to shake the writer’s faith in God and
so decided to help him. It needed something more than goodwill. So he
collected money from his employees and himself contributed a part of
the salary. He could collect only seventy pesos. He put the money into
the envelope and put a single word `God’ as signature and posted it to
Lencho.
27. Why did Lencho go a bit earlier than usual to the post office
the following Sunday?
Ans. Lencho had firm faith in God and His mercy. He did expect a reply
from Him. So, on the following Sunday, he went to the post office a bit
earlier than usual. The postman handed over the letter to Lencho. The
postmaster was only contented to perform a good deed.

28. Why did Lencho show no surprise on seeing the money?

 Ans. Lencho had a firm faith in God. He did expect help from Him. He
didn’t show any surprise when he received the sum of seventy pesos. He
believed in the mercy of God and expected definite help from him. So,
he showed no surprise when he received the money.

29. Why was Lencho angry after he counted the money?

Ans. Lencho had demanded a sum of a hundred pesos as an immediate
help from God. He did hope in God’s mercy and help. However, his
happiness was short lived when he counted the money. The sum was
short by 30 pesos. Lencho believed that God did send him a hundred
pesos but the dishonest post office employees embezzled the money.

30. Why did Lencho ask help from God? Did he receive it?
Ans. Lencho had written a letter to God requesting him to send a sum of
one hundred pesos. This money was necessary to show his fields again
and to live until the new crop came. The help did come in the form of 70
pesos. Actually, it was not God but the kind-hearted postmaster who had
collected the money and sent to Lencho by post signing God.’

31. What did Lencho write in his second letter to God? Why did
he ask Him not to send the rest of the money by post mail?
 Ans. Lencho wrote to God that he received only 70 pesos out of the 100
that he had asked for. He asked God to send him the rest of the money as
he needed it very much. He even asked God not to send the money
through the postal mail. He said that the post office employees were
dishonest and ‘a bunch of crooks’.

32. Lencho has great faith in God. Does he have the same kind of
faith in man? Taking examples from the story describe his attitude
towards God and man.
Ans. Lencho’s crop was totally destroyed. He had great faith in God. He
wrote a letter to God asking for a hundred pesos as help. The postmaster
and the employees collected seventy pesos and sent the money to him.
Lencho thought that the employees had stolen 30 pesos. He wrote
another letter to God asking for 30 pesos more but not through the post
office. He called the employees ‘a bunch of crooks’. This highlights
Lencho’s attitude to God and man. He had full faith in God but doesn’t
have any faith in man.

33. What is the ironical about the ending of the story?

Ans. The end of the story is rather ironical. The postmaster was greatly
impressed by Lencho’s faith in God. He didn’t want to shake his faith in
God. He collected a sum of seventy pesos from his employees and
contributed a part of his salary. However, his great act of charity was not
recognised and appreciated by the man who received help. On the
contrary, the helpers were ironically called ‘a bunch of crooks’.

M. Long Answer Type Questions

1. Lencho received the money and a letter from God but still, he
was not happy. Was it not in his attitude to be happy with what
he achieved? Did he not know the pleasure of being grateful to
others? Reflecting on the values required to lead a happy life,
explain in about 100-120 words.

Ans. Lencho had full faith in God and hence, had written a letter to God
asking for 100 pesos. But when he received the money and a letter from
God, he was not happy. It was not his attitude to be happy with what he
received, nor was he ungrateful to God. He was angry because he had
received 70 pesos instead of 100. He did not doubt God for it. He wrote
another letter to God asking him to send the rest of the money but not
through the post-office as they were a bunch of crooks. This shows that
Lencho had full faith in God and was confident that his desire would be
fulfilled. It was Lencho’s innocent optimism that eventually led to his
getting seventy pesos. Optimism and faith can lead to a happy life.
2. The postmaster represents such people who still believe in helping
others mention those values of the postmaster which you would like
to emulate in yourself. Write in 100-120 words.
Ans. The postmaster was a kind, generous, helpful, amiable and God-
fearing man. He received a letter from Lencho which was written to God
asking for 100 pesos so that he could sow his fields again. The postman
felt sympathetic towards Lencho. He decided to help Lencho. He gave
up a part of his salary and asked all other employees to help. Even
friends were made to contribute for a cause of charity and he managed to
collect 70 pesos. He sent the money to Lencho along with a reply. He
did so in order to preserve the man’s faith in God. This shows the
postmaster was a nice man at heart.

3.“If you don’t help me, my family and I will go hungry this
year.” Lencho had faith in God but he didn’t manage to solve the
problem by himself. Did he lack the courage to resolve his matter
himself? What values did he lack? Explain it in 100-120 words.

Ans. Lencho was a hardworking farmer. He was completely dependent

upon the crops of his fields. His annual crop was completely destroyed
due to heavy rains and hailstorm. In the entire village, there was no one
to help him during the times of financial crisis. He had the firm belief in
God and hence wrote a letter requesting Him to send 100 pesos so that
he could sow his fields again till the next crop. This act did not prove
that he lacked the courage to resolve his problem but shows that he did
not have any option left for himself He had a firm belief in God. He was
an ox of a man but lacked money to stand again.

4. Show Lencho’s faith and confidence in God with examples from

the lesson.
Ans. Lencho had full faith in the help of God. The following sentences
in the story tell us about it. ‘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.’
Again, Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money in
the envelope—such was his confidence. But he became angry when he
counted the money. ‘God could not have made a mistake nor could he
have denied Lencho what he had requested. The above facts from the
text prove his deep faith and confidence in God.

5. Give the character-sketch of Lencho.

 Or
“I wish I had the faith of the man.” Describe Lencho’s character in
the light of the above
statement.
Ans. Lencho was a hardworking farmer. He laboured like an ox. He had
good knowledge of farming and knew his crop needed a downpour to
give him good yield.
Lencho had great faith in God. He knew how to read and write. He
wrote a letter to God for help when his crops were totally ruined by
hailstones.
He was a simple and innocent farmer. He could not reason out things.
He blamed the post-office employees for cheating him of 30 pesos and
called them ‘A bunch of crooks’.
But Lencho was a caring head of the family. He got sad and worried that
his family would have to go hungry.

6. Why did Lencho write a letter to God? Who received the letter
and what did he do?
Ans. Lencho was a hard- farmer. He was expecting a good harvest. But
unfortunately, a hail storm came and destroyed his crop completely.
Now he had nothing to support the family. He had no money to purchase
the seed for sowing. But he had a firm faith in God. He believed that
God would help him. He was a simple man. He Wrote a letter to God.
He asked God to send him a hundred pesos. He wanted this money in
order to sow seed again and to live until the next harvest season.
Lencho went to the town and pasted the letter. At the post-office, a
postman took out the letter from the letterbox. He read the address on it
and had a good laugh. He showed the letter to the postmaster the
postmaster was greatly impressed by the faith of Lencho. He did not
want to shake Lencho’s faith in God. He collected money from his
employees. He put this money into an envelope and addressed it to
Lencho.

7.(i) What did the postmaster need to answer the letter? How did he
collect it?
(ii) How did Lencho react to help?
Ans. (i) Lencho’s crop had been destroyed. He needed God’s help. So
he wrote a letter to God. He posted the letter. At the post-office, a
postman took the letter out of the letterbox. He laughed at reading the
address. He showed the letter to the postmaster. The postmaster also
laughed. But he praised Lencho’s firm faith in God. He did not want to
shake this faith. He was very kind. He decided to help Lencho. He and
the post-office employees collected some money. The postmaster gave a
part of his salary. They put the money into an envelope and addressed it
to Lencho.
(ii) The next Sunday Lencho came to the post-office. He asked if there
was any letter for him. The postman gave him the envelope. Lencho
opened the letter. He found that the money was less than what he had
requested for. He thought that God could not have made a mistake. He
wrote another letter to God. He asked God to send him the rest of the
money. But he should not send it through the mail as the post-office
employees were a bunch of crooks.
8. How do you think the postmaster felt when he received Lencho’s
second letter? What do you think he did?
Ans. When Lencho opened the letter, he found only seventy pesos in it.
He thought that God could not make a mistake. Perhaps the post office
employees had cheated him. He wrote another letter to God. He wrote
that the post office employees were a bunch of crooks. The story does
not tell us what the postmaster felt when he received the second letter.
Perhaps he felt shocked. It is possible that he realized that sometimes
even good intentions are misunderstood. I think he met Lencho and
explained everything to him. He told him that the post-office employees
were not a bunch of crooks. In fact, they were kind and helpful. They
had collected money to help him.
9. Write the story of Lencho’s faith in God.
Or
Write a brief summary of the story ‘A Letter to God’.
Ans. Lencho was a simple farmer. He was very hard-working. But one
year, his harvest was completely destroyed by the hailstorm. He had firm
faith in God. He wrote a letter to God asking for a hundred pesos. The
postmaster saw the letter. He decided to help Lencho. He collected
money from his employees. He gave some part of his own salary also.
But the money was less than what Lencho had asked for. The postmaster
put the money into an envelope and addressed it to Lencho. Next Sunday
Lencho came to collect his letter. When he counted the money he
became angry. He wrote another letter to God. He asked God to send
him the rest of the money. But he asked God not to send the money
through the mail as the employees of the post-office were a bunch of
crooks.
10. Lencho described the post-office employees as a ‘bunch of
crooks’. Were they really a bunch of crooks? How would you
describe them?
Ans. A crook is a person who cheats others. He earns his living by
dishonest means. Lencho requested God for a hundred pesos. He
received a letter in the mail. When he opened it he found seventy pesos
in it. He thought that the post-office employees had taken the rest of
thirty pesos. So he called them a bunch of crooks. But in fact, they were
kind and generous people. They did not want to shake Lencho ‘s faith in
God. So they raised money to help him. But they could not raise a
hundred pesos. So they put seventy pesos in an envelope and addressed
it to Lencho. The post-office employees were good people. They did an
act of kindness and Charity. It was wrong for Lencho to call them a
bunch of crooks.

11. Why did Lencho need God’s help?

Ans. Lencho was a simple farmer. He was very hard-working. His crops
had always been good. One year, he wished that there should be some
rain so that his crop would be better. Lencho was sure that the rain
would come. In the evening it started raining. But soon the rain changed
into a hailstorm. The hails fell on the house, the garden, the hillside and
the corn-field. The field looked white as if it had been covered with salt.
No leaves were left on the trees. The flowers were gone from the plants.
Lencho’s crop was completely destroyed. His heart was filled with
sorrow. But he had faith in God. He was sure that God would help him.
He wanted God’s help for sowing seed and for living until the next
harvest.
12. Describe Lencho as a farmer. How did the rain gladden his heart
but the heavy hailstones that followed left him a worried man?
Ans. Lencho was a farmer who lived in a house that was on the top of a
small hill. From that height, he could see the river and its fields. Lencho
was an ‘ox’ of a man. He was strong and worked as an animal in his
fields. The only thing the earth and the fields needed was heavy rain. At
least, a shower was very necessary. Lencho’s older boys were working
in the field. He could see huge mountains of clouds in the north-east. It
gladdened his heart. As predicted by him, big drops of rains began to
fall. The raindrops were like ‘new coins’.
Unfortunately, Lencho’s happiness was short lived. Suddenly a strong
wind began to blow. Along with the rain, very large hailstones began to
fall. Within an hour the house, the garden, the hillside and the fields
were covered with a white sheet of hailstones. The leaves, trees and the
flowers were destroyed. The hail had left nothing. The corn was totally
destroyed. That year they would have no corn. They would survive on
the mercy of God. All such dismal prospects worried Lencho.

13. What circumstances made Lencho write a letter to God? What

does this act show about him?
Ans. The rain did come but came with disastrous hailstones that ruined
everything. The leaves, plants and flowers were ruined. The corn was
totally destroyed. The hail had left nothing. That year Lencho and his
family would have no corn. They would be on the verge of starvation.
All such dismal prospects worried Lencho. There was only one hope—
help from God.
Lencho and his wife were highly religious and had an unshaken faith in
God. They believed in God’s mercy and also believed that ‘no one dies
of hunger’. So, Lencho decided to write a letter to God. He wrote that he
needed immediate help. He wrote that without God’s help his family
would face starvation. He needed a hundred pesos in order to sow his
fields and live until the fresh crop coming. He wrote the letter and wrote
‘To God’ on the envelope and dropped it into the mailbox.

14. Writing a letter to God for help really shows not only the
unshaken faith in God of the writer Lencho but also shows his utter
simplicity and innocence. Comment.
Ans. Lencho was a simple and hardworking farmer who worked like an
ox in his fields. When the heavy fall of hailstones destroyed his corn
totally, he and his family were rather on the verge of starvation. He was
left with one hope, help from God. He believed that God is all merciful
and hears the call of those who are of a clear conscience. He requested
Him to send a hundred pesos immediately to help him to sow his fields.
He and his family also needed some money to live on until the fresh
crop coming.
Writing a letter to God and addressing it `To God’ shows the writer’s
unshaken faith in God. He was a simple man not distrusting that such a
letter could reach God. His innocence and firm belief in God’s mercy
even deeply impressed and influenced the postmaster who decided to
answer his letter. He didn’t want to shake the writer’s faith in God. He
collected and sent 70 pesos as help signing the letter with one word,
‘God’. Lencho had so much faith in God and His mercy that he didn’t
show any surprise when he received the money sent to him. He wrote
another letter requesting Him to send the rest of the money immediately
but not through the postal mail as the post office employees was a
‘bunch of crooks’.

15. Why did the postmaster and his employees decide to help
Lencho? Was their effort appreciated by the receiver of that help?
Ans. Lencho was a simple-hearted farmer who had tremendous faith in
God. The heavy hailstones destroyed his corn. There was only one hope
— help from God. So, Lencho wrote a letter to God describing his and
his family’s miserable condition. He requested for a hundred pesos to
help in sowing the crop and living till the next crop came. The
postmaster himself, a generous man, first laughed at the idea of
Lencho’s having a correspondence with God. However, he soon became
serious. He was highly impressed by Lencho’s unshaken faith in God.
He didn’t want to break his faith in God. So he decided to answer the
letter and help Lencho. He needed something more than goodwill. He
asked his employees to collect money for this cause. He also contributed
a part of his salary. All in all, they collected 70 pesos. The postmaster
put the money in an envelope and mailed it to Lencho. He wrote a single
word as a signature, God. Ironically, this noble act of charity by the
postmaster and employees was not appreciated by Lencho. On the
contrary, he called them ‘a bunch of crooks’ who embezzled the
remaining 30 pesos. He never knew who were the real helpers. He only
wrote God not to send the remaining 30 pesos through the mail as the
post office employees were a ‘bunch of crooks’.

16. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money?
Describe the ironical ending of the story.
Ans. Lencho’s faith in God was complete and unshaken. When he lost
all hopes, he looked towards God for help. And he was sure that God
would come to the help of a simple man of clear conscience like him.
So, when he saw the money, he was not at all surprised as he had been
waiting for it. But when he counted the money, he became angry. He
was sure that someone had stolen thirty pesos out of the hundred sent by
God. Who could be they except the employees at the post office?
Therefore, he wrote a second letter to God to send him the rest of the
money immediately. He asked Him not to send the money through the
mail as the post office employees were a ‘bunch of crooks.’
The situation at the end becomes quite ironical. It is ironical that men
who collected pesos to help Lencho were called `a bunch of crooks, by
him. He couldn’t know till the end who had really sent that money.

17. Draw a character sketch of Lencho, the farmer in about 120-150

words.
Ans. Lencho was a simple man as farmers usually are everywhere. He
was a man of limited means and earned his living by farming his fields.
His older sons helped him in farming activities. His wife did the same
but also managed the kitchen and other household works. Lencho was
highly religious. So was his wife. He had an unshaken faith in God. He
believed that God always helps people with a clear conscience.
Therefore, when he lost all hopes and he and his family were on the
verge of starvation, he looked towards God for help. His deep faith in
God even impressed the postmaster who decided to help him. He was
strong and sturdy like an ox. Not only that, he worked day and night in
the fields. Being a farmer, he had a deep knowledge about the weather,
the winds and the rains of his region.
He was simple-hearted. He was rustic inhabit and thoughts. He was a
little educated to write a letter. He shows his innocence by trying to have
a correspondence with God directly. He wrote ‘To God’ on the top of
the envelope and posted the letter into the mail-box.
While he had an unshaken faith in God, he mistrusted easily the motives
of men. He could never know and nor did he ever try to know who had
sent him those seventy pesos to help him. It is quite ironical that he
abused his helpers by calling them ‘a bunch of crooks’.

18. Give a character sketch of the Postmaster in your own words.

Don’t you think that he should have deserved a better recognition
and appreciation of his act of charity?
Ans. It takes all kinds of people to make this world. The postmaster has
all that is good in human thinking and behaviour. He has a thorough
understanding of a sharp, sympathetic and sensitive mind. He knows
how the mind of a God fearing rustic like Lencho works. He is sensitive
and sympathetic to human feelings. He doesn’t want to break the deep
faith of the writer in God. The fat and friendly postmaster had a large
heart too. First, he laughed at the man who wanted to have a direct
correspondence with God. But he soon became serious. 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. He did so as to keep Lencho’s
faith in God. He wrote a single word as a signature: God.
It is ironical that a simpleton like Lencho could never know his real
benefactor. Nor did he ever try to know how and from whom he
received those seventy pesos. Naturally, his work of charity deserved
better recognition and appreciation from the receiver. Ironically, the
postmaster and his employees who had sent seventy pesos were called ‘a
bunch of crooks’ by Lencho.