Viswabharathi

wisewoods

SUBJECT : ENGLISH
TEXTBOOK : FIRST FLIGHT (MCB)
UNIT : 1-PROSE-1
TITLE : A LETTER TO GOD
GENERE : (PROSE/STORY/FICTION)
AUTHOR : G L FUENTES

(COPY DOWN WORD MEANINGS AND Q&A 1-5 TO CLASS WORK)

WORD MEANINGS

Crest : Top of a hill

Dotted : Full Of
Downpour : Heavy Rain
Intimately : Closely
Draped : Adorn, Cover
Hailstones : A Pellet of Hail
Solitary : Existing alone; lonely.
Conscience : an inner sense of right and wrong.
Ox of a man : hardworking
Daybreak : The time in the morning when daylight first appears
Amiable : Friendly and Pleasant
Correspondence : Communication by exchanging letters with someone.
Pesos : The basic monetary unit of Latin American countries.
Resolution : a firm decision to do or not to do something.
Contentment : Satisfaction

Questions and Answers

1. 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.

2. 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.

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

4. Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is?
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.

5. There are two kinds of conflict in the story between humans and nature and between humans
themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?
Answer:
Conflict between Humans and Nature: The conflict between humans and nature is 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.
****************************************************************************

 Read and study

"Faith Is Like Wifi, It Is Invisible But It Has The Power To Connect You To What You Need.

A Letter to God Introduction

The story, "A Letter to God" by G.L Fuentes revolves around the idea of having unquestionable
belief in something. The story is set in a Latin American country. Lencho, the farmer, who is the
protagonist of the story, writes a letter to God seeking help from the almighty after discovering
his entire crop yield destroyed by a devastating hailstorm. Although, his wishes get fulfilled
partially, if not completely, he is ungrateful in the end and questions the honesty and modesty of
the post-masters who actually helped him with money (anonymously) in the name of god.

A Letter to God Summary

The story, "A Letter to God" by G.L. Fuentes depicts unwavering faith of a farmer in God. It
begins with a farmer, named Lencho expecting for a rain shower to nourish his field of corn. He
is confident that his harvest is going to yield him huge profits just like it does every year. To his
utmost excitement, rainfall did happen but sooner, it turned into a hailstorm destroying his entire
crop field. The damage posed a threat to the family's survival as their entire livelihood was
dependent on the year's produce. Although disheartened, the family had robust belief in the
almighty. Lencho, despite having worked day and night at the field, knew how to write and thus,
decided to write a letter to God explaining his situation and asking for help. He went to town to
post his letter addressed "To God". The letter on being noticed by the postmaster, at first amused
him, but then motivated him want to do something for the farmer so as to keep his immense
belief intact. He contributes from his salary and collects money from his colleagues and friends
who willingly contributed for an act of charity. To his dismay, he could only collect 70 pesos
which he wrapped in an envelope to make it seem like a reply from the deity. On having found
the letter, the writer (Lencho) is not at all shocked, but instead, he gets angry on finding that the
amount is less than what he had expected. He again writes a letter to God conveying his
disappointment and distrust in the employees of the post office who he thought had stolen the
remaining amount.

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’.
Main Characters of the Story- A Letter to God
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’.

Questions and Answers

1. What did Lencho hope for?

Answer: Lencho hoped for a good rain as it was much needed for a good harvest.

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.

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 along with the rain. All the crops in Lencho’s field got destroyed because of
the weather conditions.

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.

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.

6. Who read the letter?

Answer: Postmaster read the letter.

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.

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.

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.

10. 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.

11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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.
There are two kinds of conflict in the story between humans and nature and between humans
themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?
Answer:
Conflict between Humans and Nature: The conflict between humans and nature is 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.
………………………………………………………………………………………
A Letter to God Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English First Flight

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Question 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. “Now we’re really going to get some water, woman.
” The woman who was preparing supper, replied, “Yes, God willing”.
(a) Where was Lencho’s house located?
(b) What was Lencho’s wife preparing?
(c) Find the word from the passage which means ‘very closely’.
(d) What does ‘Crest’ means?
Answer:
Lencho’s house was located on the crest of a low hill.
(b) Lencho’s wife was preparing supper.
(c) The word is ‘Intimately’.
(d) Crest means the top part of a hill.

Question 2.
It was during the meal that, just as Lencho had predicted, big drops of rain began to fall. 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.
[CBSE 2012]
(a) What could be seen approaching in the North-East?
(b) Why did Lencho go out?
(c) Give an antonym of the word Big.
(d) Which word in the passage is a synonym of ‘forecast’.

Answer:
(a) Huge mountains of clouds could be seen approaching in the North-East.
(b) Lencho went out to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body.
(c) The word is ‘small’.
(d) The word ‘predict’ is a synonym of forecast.

Question 3.
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 alongwith 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) What happened to the rain suddenly?
(b) ‘The frozen pearls’ refers to which thing in the paragraph.
(c) Find the similar meaning-of ‘contented’ in the paragraph.
(d) Find from the passage a word which means ‘to take after’.

Answer:
(a) The rain suddenly changed into hailstones.
(b) ‘The frozen pearls’ refers to hailstones.
(c) The word is ‘Satisfied’.
(d) The word is ‘Resemble’.

Question 4.
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. The hail has
left nothing.
(a) Describe Lencho’s feeling as shown in the passage.
(b) What happened to the crop when the storm had passed?
(c) Find the word that means the opposite of ‘restored’ as used in the passage.
(d) What do you mean by ‘hail’ in the last line?

Answer:
(a) Lencho was filled with sadness when the storm had passed.
(b) The crop was completely destroyed when the storm had passed.
(c) The word is ‘destroyed’.
(d) ‘Hail’ is balls of ice that falls from the sky in the form of rain.

Question 5.
“That’s what they say: no one dies of hunger.” 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. [CBSE 2014]
(a) What was Lencho’s only hope?
(b) How did Lencho work in the field?
(c) Find the exact word of similar meaning ‘moral sense’ given in the passage.
(d) Explain ‘an or of a man’.

Answer:
(a) Lencho’s only hope was the help of God.
(b) Lencho worked as an ‘ox’ in the field.
(c) The word is ‘conscience’.
(d) It means a man working hard like an ox or animal.

Question 6.
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. Starting.up a correspondence with God!”
So, in order ndt to shake the writer’s faith in God, the postmaster came up with an idea: answer
the letter. But when he opened it, it was evident that to answer it he needed something more than
goodwill, ink and paper. But he stuck to his resolution: he asked for money from his employees,
he himself gave part of his salary and several friends of his vreie obliged io give something ‘for
an act of charity’.
(a) What kind of a person the postmaster was?
(b) How did the postmaster help Lencho?
(c) Find the exact word in similar meaning ‘without delay’ given in the passage.
(d) Determination is synonymous with …………….

Answer:
(a) The postmaster was a fat, amiable and helpful fellow.
(b) The postmaster helped Lencho by collecting money from his employees and friends.
(c) The word is ‘Immediately’.
(d) Determination is synonym with Resolution.

Question 7.
The following Sunday, Lencho came a bit earlier than usual to ask if there was a letter for him. It
was the postman himself who handed the letter to him while the postmaster, experiencing the
contentment of a man who has performed a good deed, looked on from his office.
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 come earlier to the post office?
(b) Why wasLencho angry when he counted money?
(c) Find the word which means the opposite of permitted from the passage.
(d) Which word in the passage gives the meaning ‘that one will be successful one day’.

Answer:
(a) Lencho came earlier to the post office to know if there was a letter for him.
(b) Lencho was angry when he counted money as it was not the full amount that he had
demanded from God.
(c) The word is ‘denied’.
(d) The word is ‘confidence’.

Question 8.
When he finished, he went to the window to buy a stamp which he licked and then affixed to the
envelope with a blow of his fist. 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.” [CBSE 2016]
(a) What did Lencho do wijh the stamp?
(b) What did the postmaster do when the letter fell into the mailbox and why?
(c) Find out the word which has the similar meaning as ‘attached’ used in the passage.
(d) Which word in the passage denotes a dishonest person?

Answer:
(a) Lencho licked and affixed the stamp to the envelope with a blow of his fist.
(b) The postmaster immediately opened the letter to know Lencho’s feeling for the money he had
received.
(c) The word is ‘affixed’.
(d) The word is ‘crook’.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Who was Lencho? What were his main problems? [CBSE 2015]
Answer:
Lencho was a hardworking farmer, who lived on the crest of a low hill. Due to the hailstorm his
crops were destroyed, so he needed money to sow his field again and support his family. These
were the main problems of Lencho.

Question 2.
Give a brief description of the view from Lencho’s house?
Answer:
Lencho’s house was situated on the crest of a low hill and it was the only one in the valley. One
could easily see the river and the field of ripe corn from here.

Question 3.
What did Lencho compare the raindrops to and why? [ CBSE 2011]
Answer:
Lencho compared the raindrops to new coins because the crop needed the rain badly and it was
the sign of good harvest. Good harvest meant prosperity for Lencho as he needed the money to
fulfil his basic needs.

Question 4.
Why did Lencho write a letter to God?
Answer:
When.Lencho’s crops were completely destroyed by the hailstorm, he wrote a letter to God
because he was the only hope in his despair. Lencho asked him to send hundred pesos to sow his
field again and support his family.

Question 5.
Why and how did the postmaster help Lencho?
Answer:
The postmaster was determined to help Lencho. He did not want Lencho’s faith in God to be
shaken so he asked his employees and friends to help Lencho. He also contributed a part of his
salary for this act of charity.

Question 6.
How much money did Lencho need? How . much did he get?
Answer:
Lencho got seventy pesos. He was angry at the difference as he needed hundred pesos to sow the
crops again and to support his family till the next harvest.

Question 7.
Why did Lencho not want the money to be sent through mail? CBSE 2016
Answer:
Lencho wrote in his second letter that he received only seventy pesos but he needed a hundred
pesos.
He requested God not to send rest of the money by post since the post office employees were a
bunch of crooks and would steal the money.

Question 8.
Do you think that Lencho was right to call the post office employees a bunch of crooks? Why or
why not?
Answer:
Lencho called the post office employees a bunch of crooks as he did not get full money that he
had demanded. He could not believe that God had sent him any less money so he doubted these
people. But he was not right to call them a bunch of crooks.

Long Answer (Value Based) Type Questions

Question 1.
Who was Lencho and what circumstances forced him to write a letter to God?
Answer:
Lencho was a hardworking farmer who lived with his family on a crest of a low hill. He was very
caring and God loving man. Though, he was a farmer he could read and write. Lencho eagerly
waited for the rainfall in order to get good harvest and he became happy when it came. But the
pleasing rain changed into hailstorm and destroyed his crop.
He became sad and was worried about his family as they might remain hungry that year. His last
hope was the help from God as he had complete faith in him. Hence, he wrote a letter to God
asking him to send hundred pesos to survive and to reharvest.

Question 2.
Give a character-sketch of Lencho.
Answer:
Lencho was a simple man and a hardworking farmer. He worked as an ox in his field.
Lencho’s entire crops were badly destroyed by the hailstorm. So, he became very sad as he was
worried about his family. He was an optimistic person. Although his only source of living was
taken away, he didn’t lose hope. He had his last hope in God. He was confident that God would
help him in his distress. Lencho was an innocent atheist who didn’t know that there was no such
living person as God who could send him money. He had blind faith in God and sought solution
of his problem’Trom God only.

Question 3.
Sketch the character of the postmaster in the story ‘A Letter to God”.
(or)
How do you like ,the character of the postmaster in the story ‘A Letter to God?” Give reason for
your answer.
Answer:
The postmaster was a fat and friendly fellow. He was a sensible human being. He first laughed
looking at the letter which had a strange address. But soon he became serious. He was surprised
at the faith that Lencho had in God. He wanted his faith not to be shaken.
The postmaster himself gave a part of his salary and also requested his employees and a few
friends to contribute for charity. He felt happy and satisfied when Lencho received the money.
This shows that he was a kind and empathetic person as well. He loved to help others.

Question 4.
How did the postmaster and post office employees help Lencho? How did he react to their help?
Answer:
The Postmaster and post office employees were very generous as they contributed for the act of
charity. First they laughed when they saw Lencho’s letter to God, but soon they were impressed
by his faith in God. They decided to send some money to Lencho so that his faith in God does
not get shaken. They collected seventy pesos and sent it to Lencho.
When Lencho got the envelope and opened it to count money, he became angry. He again wrote
a letter to God demanding the remaining thirty pesos. He thought that post office employees had
taken away the remaining money and called them a bunch of crooks, which was not justified at
all as they were the people who had helped him. But it shows his innocence and firm faith in
God.

Question 5.
How did the hailstones affect Lencho’s field? What was Lencho’s only hope?
Answer:
Lencho, a hardworking farmer, worked like an ox for a good harvest, depended completely on
his fields to take care of his family. He expected a good harvest that year. He needed a
downpour for the crops to ripe, but the rain followed by hailstorm completely destroyed the
crops.
It made him sad. He was worried for his family as he loved them so much. But Lencho had firm
faith in God and believed that nobody died of hunger. So, he decided to seek help from God. He
wrote a letter to God and asked him for a hundred pesos to survive and to sow new crop.
Question 6.
“Humanity still exists”, this is what we get to know after reading A letter to God’ in which firm
faith in God of a poor farmer and helpfulness of the post office employees are aptly depicted
thought. Write a paragraph on the values in it, in about 80-100 words. Give the paragraph a
suitable title. [CBSE 2012]
Answer:
Existence of Humanity
After reading ‘A letter to God’, our faith in humanity stirs for strong. We learn from the story
that there still are people who help others without any self interest. The postmaster and the post
office employees lay an example for everyone of us to be kind. Though they all laughed at his
letter, they were really moved by the grip of faith Lencho had in God. The way they all decided
to help the stranger in his hard times restores our faith in the existence of humanity and
motivates us to be a noble and kind person.

Question 7.
Describe Lencho’s qualities in light of his faith in God. Do you have faith in God like Lencho?
Was Lencho’s reaction towards post office employees right? [CBSE 2015]
Answer:
Lencho was a poor farmer who totally depended on the harvest to survive and fulfil basic needs
of his family. Once his crops were destroyed due to heavy rainfall and hailstones and he was
afraid to think how his family would survive. He believed that God would help him in this plight.
He had firm faith in God, he believed that God would not let him be hungry.
Now-a-days faith in God like Lencho is almost impossible and unseen. People are very much
aware that nobody is willing to help others without any self interest. Lencho’s reaction towards
post office employees was not right or justified but it was just because of his innocence as he
could not believe that God had done such a mistake. It were only the post office employees who
had stolen money according to him.

LETTER TO GOD - EXTRACT FROM THE CHAPTER

Extract Based Questions (4 marks each)

Question 1.

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : (1×4=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 arent 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) Lencho compares the rain drops to new coins. Why?
(c) Which word in the extract means the same as very big.
(d) To what are the raindrops compared.

Answer:

(a) He went out in rain because he wanted to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body.
(b) Lencho compares the rain drops to new coins because they were round in shape and almost of
the same size. He also knew that good rain means good money.
(c) Huge.
(d) Raindrops are compared to new coins.

Question 2.

The moment the letter fell into the mail box the post master 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 dont send it to me through the mail because the post office employees are a bunch of
crooks. (1×4=4)

(a) What does Lencho mean by the rest?

(b) What was in Lenchos mind when he was writing the letter?
(c) Find out a word from the passage which is the opposite of honest.
(d) Who are denoted a bunch of crooks?

Answer:

(a) By the rest Lencho meant that the thirty pesos which were yet to be received.
(b) Lencho thought that only God could help him in that hour of need.
(c) The opposite of honest is crooks.
(d) The post office employees.

Question 3.

God he wrote. If you dont 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 comes, because the hail storm
(1×4=4)

(a) Who is he?

(b) Why did the speaker need money?
(c) How much money, does the speaker need?
(d) Who are you in the passage?

Answer:

(a) He here refers to Lencho.

(b) The speaker needed money to save his family from hunger.
(c) Lencho needed a hundred pesos.
(d) God.

Question 4.

So, in order to not to shake the writers faith in God, the postmaster came up with an idea :
answer the letter. But when he opened it, it was evident that to answer it he needed something
more than good will, ink and paper. But he stuck to his resolution : He asked money from his
employees. (1×4=4)

(a) Who decided to answer the letter?

(b) How did the postmaster help the writer of the letter?
(c) Which word in the extract means the same as firm decision?
(d) Who is he in the passage?

Answer:

(a) The postmaster decided to answer the letter.

(b) The postmaster asked the other post office employees to contribute from their salary. He too
contributed to help the writer of the letter.
(c) Resolution means the same as firm decision.
(d) The postmaster.

Question 5.

The following Sunday Lencho came a bit earlier than usual to ask if there was a letter for him. It
was the postman himself who handed the letter to him while the postmaster, experiencing the
contentment of a man who has performed a good deed, looked on from his office. 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, not could he have
denied Lencho what he had requested. (1×4=4)

(a) Why was Lencho not surprised on seeing the money?

(b) Why did Lencho become angry while he got the money?
(c) What was the belief of Lencho?
(d) Who handed the letter to Lencho?

Answer:

(a) Lencho was not surprised on seeing the money because he was confident of getting the
money. He had firm faith in God.
(b) Lencho was angry because he didnt get 100 pesos from God. Rather it was only 70 pesos.
(c) Lencho strongly believed that neither God could make a mistake in counting the money nor
could he deny Lencho what he had requested.
(d) The postman himself.

Question 6.

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. (1×4=4)

(a) Who was satisfied?

(b) Why was he satisfied?
(c) Which word in the extract means the same as covered?
(d) Why was Lencho satisfied?

Answer:

(a) Lencho was satisfied.

(b) He was satisfied to see the rain falling.
(c) Draped word in the extract means the same as covered.
(d) Lencho was satisfied on seeing the field of ripe corn with flowers

Question 7.

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. Now were really going to get some water, woman.
The woman who was preparing supper, replied, Yes, God willing.

(a) Where was Lenchos house located?

(b) What was Lenchos wife preparing?
(c) Find the word from the passage which means very closely.
(d) What does Crest means?

Answer:

(a)Lenchos house was located on the crest of a low hill.

(b) Lenchos wife was preparing supper.
(c) The word is Intimately.
(d) Crest means the top part of a hill.

Question 8.

It was during the meal that, just as Lencho had predicted, big drops of rain began to fall. 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.
[CBSE 2012]

(a) What could be seen approaching in the North-East?

(b) Why did Lencho go out?
(c) Give an antonym of the word Big.
(d) Which word in the passage is a synonym of forecast.

Answer:

(a) Huge mountains of clouds could be seen approaching in the North-East.

(b) Lencho went out to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body.
(c) The word is small.
(d) The word predict is a synonym of forecast.

Question 9.

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) What happened to the rain suddenly?

(b) The frozen pearls refers to which thing in the paragraph.
(c) Find the similar meaning-of contented in the paragraph.
(d) Find from the passage a word which means to take after.

Answer:
(a) The rain suddenly changed into hailstones.
(b) The frozen pearls refers to hailstones.
(c) The word is Satisfied.
(d) The word is Resemble.

Question 10.

Not a leaf remained on the trees. The corn was totally destroyed. The flowers were gone from the
plants. Lenchos 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. The hail has
left nothing.

(a) Describe Lenchos feeling as shown in the passage.

(b) What happened to the crop when the storm had passed?
(c) Find the word that means the opposite of restored as used in the passage.
(d) What do you mean by hail in the last line?

Answer:

(a) Lencho was filled with sadness when the storm had passed.
(b) The crop was completely destroyed when the storm had passed.
(c) The word is destroyed.
(d) Hail is balls of ice that falls from the sky in the form of rain.

Question 11.

Thats what they say: no one dies of hunger. 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 ones conscience. Lencho was an ox of a man, working like an animal in the fields, but
still he knew how to write. [CBSE 2014]

(a) What was Lenchos only hope?

(b) How did Lencho work in the field?
(c) Find the exact word of similar meaning moral sense given in the passage.
(d) Explain an or of a man.

Answer:
(a) Lenchos only hope was the help of God.
(b) Lencho worked as an ox in the field.
(c) The word is conscience.
(d) It means a man working hard like an ox or animal.

Question 12.

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. Starting. Up a correspondence with God!
So, in order not to shake the writers faith in God, the postmaster came up with an idea: answer
the letter. But when he opened it, it was evident that to answer it he needed something more than
goodwill, ink and paper. But he stuck to his resolution: he asked for money from his employees,
he himself gave part of his salary and several friends of his were obliged to give something for
an act of charity.

(a) What kind of a person the postmaster was?

(b) How did the postmaster help Lencho?
(c) Find the exact word in similar meaning without delay given in the passage.
(d) Determination is synonymous with .

Answer:

(a) The postmaster was a fat, amiable and helpful fellow.

(b) The postmaster helped Lencho by collecting money from his employees and friends.
(c) The word is Immediately.
(d) Determination is synonym with Resolution.

Question 13.

The following Sunday, Lencho came a bit earlier than usual to ask if there was a letter for him. It
was the postman himself who handed the letter to him while the postmaster, experiencing the
contentment of a man who has performed a good deed, looked on from his office.
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 come earlier to the post office?

(b) Why was Lencho angry when he counted money?
(c) Find the word which means the opposite of permitted from the passage.
(d) Which word in the passage gives the meaning that one will be successful one day.

Answer:
(a) Lencho came earlier to the post office to know if there was a letter for him.
(b) Lencho was angry when he counted money as it was not the full amount that he had
demanded from God.
(c) The word is denied.
(d) The word is confidence.

Question 14.

When he finished, he went to the window to buy a stamp which he licked and then affixed to the
envelope with a blow of his fist. 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 dont send it to me through the mail because the post
office employees are a bunch of crooks. Lencho. [CBSE 2016]

(a) What did Lencho do with the stamp?

(b) What did the postmaster do when the letter fell into the mailbox and why?
(c) Find out the word which has the similar meaning as attached used in the passage.
(d) Which word in the passage denotes a dishonest person?

Answer:

(a) Lencho licked and affixed the stamp to the envelope with a blow of his fist.
(b) The postmaster immediately opened the letter to know Lenchos feeling for the money he had
received.
(c) The word is affixed.
(d) The word is crook

Q1- Where was Lencho's house situated?

A) bottom of the hill
B) top of a hill
C) top of a plateau
D) in a city

Q2- What was the only thing that the Earth needed according to Lencho?
A) a shower
B) a snowfall
C) strong winds
D) sunlight

Q3- Where did Lencho expect the downpour to come from?

A) north
B) north-east
C) north-west
D) south-east

Q4 - What did Lencho compare the large raindrops with?

A) silver coins
B) pearls
C) diamonds
D) new coins

Q5- Which crop was growing on Lencho's fields?

A) Corn
B) Barley
C) Rice
D) None of the above

Q6- What destroyed Lencho's fields?

A) heavy rainfall
B) hailstorm
C) landslide
D) flood

Q7- The field looked as if it were covered in _______.

A) salt
B) locusts
C) sugar
D) ice

Q8- Lencho compared the quantum of damage with

A) attack by rats
B) attack by crows
C) plague of locusts
D) None of the above

Q9- What was the only hope left in the hearts of Lencho's family?
A) compensation from government
B) help from farmer's association
C) help from God
D) there was no hope left

Q10- How did Lencho decide to contact his last resort?

A) by visiting them personally
B) through a letter
C) through e-mail
D) through fax

Q11- How much money did Lencho ask for?

A) 100 pesos
B) 1000 pesos
C) 10 pesos
D) 500 pesos

Q12- What was the immediate reaction of the postman on seeing the letter?
A) laughed whole-heartedly
B) cried
C) felt sad about what happened
D) felt empathetic

Q13- The postmaster was a fat, amiable man. What is the meaning of amiable?
A) rude
B) helpful
C) friendly
D) enthusaistic

Q14- On seeing the letter, the postmaster was moved by Lencho's ______
A) unwavering faith
B) handwriting
C) love for God
D) determination

Q15- Why did the postmaster decide to reply to Lencho's letter?

A) he was a good man
B) he felt empathetic
C) to preserve Lencho's faith in God
D) all of the above

Q16- What else did the reply demanded apart from goodwill, ink and paper?
A) lost crop
B) money
C) God's signature
D) new seeds
Q17- How much money was the postmaster able to arrange?
A) 100 pesos
B) Nil
C) 1000 pesos
D) 70 pesos

Q18- What did the postmaster feel on experiencing Lencho receive the letter?
A) contended
B) proud
C) overwhelmed
D) all of the above

Q19- Why was Lencho not surprised on seeing the money in the envelope?
A) he was too sad to acknowledge it
B) he had unwavering faith in God
C) he was an ungrateful man
D) none of the above

Q20- How did he feel when he counted the money?

A) grateful
B) joyful
C) relieved
D) angry

Q21- What did Lencho think of the post-office employees?

A) bunch of crooks
B) rude
C) unhelpful
D) proud
Q22- What did Lencho ask for in his second letter?
A) more money
B) remaining amount and not send it by mail
C) remaining amount and send it by mail only
D) he didn't ask for anything

Q23- What is the irony in this lesson?

A) Lencho was sad after the hailstorm even though he was the one waiting for a
shower
B) Postmaster laughed at Lencho but still helped arrange money for him
C) Lencho blamed the post office employees who in fact helped him
D) there is no irony

Q24- What type of conflict does the chapter highlight?

A) conflict between nature and humans
B) conflict among humans
C) conflict among God and nature
D) both 1 and 2

Q25- Who is the author of the lesson 'A Letter to God'?

A) G.L. Fuentes
B) J.k. Rowling
C) William Shakespeare
D) Roald Dahl

ANSWER KEY

1 B 11 A 21 A

2 A 12 A 22 B
3 B 13 C 23 C

4 D 14 A 24 D

5 A 15 C 25 A

6 B 16 B

7 A 17 D

8 C 18 A

9 C 19 B

10 B 20 D

******************************************************************************
***********