Class 10 English Chapter 1 Question Answer | A Letter to God
Welcome to HSLC Guru. In this article, we provide a complete set of questions and answers for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 1 – A Letter to God by G.L. Fuentes. This chapter is an important part of the ASSEB (Assam State Board of Secondary Education) Class 10 English syllabus. Here you will find the summary, textbook solutions (Oral Comprehension Check, Thinking about the Text, and Thinking about the Language), additional short and long answer questions, MCQs, extract-based questions, and value-based questions to help you prepare thoroughly for your HSLC examination.
Summary of A Letter to God
“A Letter to God” is a short story written by the Mexican author G.L. Fuentes. The story is about a poor but hardworking farmer named Lencho who lives with his family in a house situated on the crest of a low hill. From this height, one can see the river and the field of ripe corn dotted with flowers that always promised a good harvest. Lencho’s only hope for a successful crop was adequate rainfall. One Sunday, as the family sat down for supper, it began to rain, and Lencho was overjoyed, comparing the large raindrops to new coins of ten cents and the small ones to five cents. However, the rain soon turned into a devastating hailstorm that lasted for an hour and completely destroyed his entire cornfield. The field turned white, as if covered with salt, and not a single leaf remained on the trees.
Lencho was deeply saddened but had unwavering faith in God. He believed that God sees everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience. Being a man who could read and write, he decided to write a letter to God asking for a hundred pesos to sow his field again and to survive until the next crop came. He addressed the letter “To God” and posted it at the post office. When a postman found the letter and showed it to the postmaster, the postmaster first laughed but was soon deeply moved by Lencho’s immense faith. He exclaimed, “What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter.” Not wanting to shake Lencho’s faith, the postmaster decided to collect money from his employees, friends, and even contributed part of his own salary. He managed to gather only seventy pesos out of the hundred that Lencho had requested.
The postmaster placed the money in an envelope addressed to Lencho and signed it “God.” When Lencho received the letter the following Sunday, he was not at all surprised, as he fully expected God to reply. However, when he counted the money and found only seventy pesos, he became angry. He was convinced that God could not have made a mistake, nor could He have denied Lencho what he had requested. So, Lencho wrote a second letter to God asking for the remaining thirty pesos, but this time he specifically requested that God not send the money through the post office because he believed the post office employees were “a bunch of crooks” who had stolen the missing thirty pesos. This is the central irony of the story: the very people who selflessly helped Lencho were the ones he accused of being dishonest.
Oral Comprehension Check (Textbook Questions and Answers)
Oral Comprehension Check (Page 5)
Q1. What did Lencho hope for?
Answer: Lencho hoped for a good downpour or at least a shower of rain. His fields of ripe corn needed rainfall for a successful harvest. He kept looking at the sky towards the northeast throughout the morning, expecting rain to come.
Q2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?
Answer: Lencho compared the raindrops to ‘new coins’ because the rain was extremely valuable for his crops. As an experienced farmer, he knew that the rain would help his cornfield produce a good harvest, which in turn would bring him money. He called the big drops “ten-cent pieces” and the little ones “five-cent pieces” because each raindrop was as precious as a coin for his livelihood.
Q3. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?
Answer: The rain suddenly changed into a devastating hailstorm. A strong wind began to blow, and very large hailstones began to fall along with the rain. The hailstorm lasted for about an hour and completely destroyed Lencho’s cornfield. The field was left white, as if covered with salt. Not a single leaf remained on the trees. The corn was totally destroyed, and the flowers were gone from the plants. Lencho’s entire crop was ruined.
Q4. What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?
Answer: When the hail stopped, Lencho’s soul was filled with deep sadness and despair. He looked at his destroyed field and said with a heavy heart that a plague of locusts would have left more than the hailstorm did. The field was completely ruined, and he feared that his family would go hungry that year as there would be no corn harvest at all.
Oral Comprehension Check (Page 6)
Q5. Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
Answer: Lencho had complete and unwavering faith in God. He believed that God sees everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience, and that God would surely help him in his time of need. He decided to write a letter directly to God. In the letter, he asked God to send him a hundred pesos so that he could sow his field again and survive until the next crop came. He addressed the letter “To God,” put it in an envelope, placed a stamp on it, and dropped it into the mailbox at the post office.
Q6. Who read the letter?
Answer: One of the employees at the post office, who was a postman, first noticed the letter addressed “To God.” He showed it to the postmaster, laughing heartily. The postmaster, a fat and amiable fellow, also read the letter.
Q7. What did the postmaster do then?
Answer: The postmaster first laughed when he read the letter, but he soon became serious. He was deeply moved by Lencho’s unwavering faith in God. He exclaimed, “What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter.” He did not want to shake Lencho’s faith, so he decided to answer the letter. But he realized that answering it required more than just goodwill, ink, and paper. He needed to collect money. He asked his employees and friends to contribute, and he himself gave a part of his salary. He managed to collect a little more than half of the amount Lencho had requested. He put the money (seventy pesos) in an envelope addressed to Lencho and signed the letter with a single word: “God.”
Oral Comprehension Check (Page 7)
Q8. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
Answer: No, Lencho was not at all surprised to find a letter with money in it. His faith in God was so absolute and unquestioning that he fully expected God to respond to his letter and send him the money he had asked for. He had complete confidence that God would help him, so receiving money from “God” was exactly what he had anticipated.
Q9. What made him angry?
Answer: When Lencho counted the money in the envelope, he found only seventy pesos instead of the hundred pesos he had requested. This made him very angry. He was fully convinced that God could not have made a mistake, nor could God have denied him the full amount he had asked for. Therefore, Lencho concluded that the post office employees must have stolen the remaining thirty pesos from the envelope. He called them “a bunch of crooks.”
Thinking about the Text (Textbook Questions and Answers)
Q1. Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?
Answer: Lencho has complete and unwavering faith in God. Several sentences in the story reveal this deep faith:
- “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, 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 comes, because the hailstorm…”
- “God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested.”
- He was not at all surprised when he received money in a letter from “God.”
All these sentences clearly show that Lencho had absolute trust in God and believed that God would directly help him in his time of need.
Q2. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?
Answer: The postmaster sends money to Lencho because he is deeply moved and impressed by Lencho’s immense faith in God. He does not want to shake or break Lencho’s pure and innocent belief. He wishes he himself had such unwavering faith. Out of kindness and a desire to preserve Lencho’s faith, he decides to collect money from his employees and friends, and also contributes part of his own salary. He manages to collect seventy pesos and sends it to Lencho. He signs the letter ‘God’ so that Lencho would believe that the money had indeed come from God. If the postmaster had signed it with his own name or mentioned the post office, Lencho’s faith in God would have been shattered, and the entire purpose of the charitable act would have been defeated.
Q3. Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why or why not?
Answer: No, Lencho did not try to find out who had sent the money to him. This was because his faith in God was so absolute and unquestioning that he never doubted for a moment that the money had come from anyone other than God. He had written the letter to God with complete confidence, and when he received the reply, he accepted it as a matter of course. The idea that a human being might have sent him the money never even crossed his mind. His blind faith in God made it impossible for him to consider any alternative explanation.
Q4. 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 (thirty pesos). He calls them “a bunch of crooks.” The irony of the situation is that the very people whom Lencho accuses of stealing the money are the ones who actually collected and sent the money to him in the first place. The postmaster, his employees, and their friends contributed from their own pockets to help Lencho and to preserve his faith in God. Yet, instead of receiving gratitude, they are branded as thieves and dishonest people by the man they selflessly helped. This is a classic example of situational irony, where the outcome is the exact opposite of what one would expect.
Q5. Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is? You may select appropriate words from the word box.
Answer: It is hard to find people like Lencho in the real world. He is a rare kind of person who has an unquestioning and naive faith in God. He is so innocent that he genuinely believes God will directly reply to his letter and send him money. At the same time, he is hardworking, determined, and caring about his family. However, he is also comically stubborn and lacks practical awareness of how the world works. He can be described as naive, unquestioning, trusting (in God), innocent, and determined. While his faith is admirable, his inability to recognize the kindness of the people around him shows a lack of worldly wisdom. He blindly trusts God but distrusts fellow human beings without any real reason.
Q6. There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these illustrated?
Answer: The two types of conflict in the story are illustrated as follows:
(i) Conflict between humans and nature: This conflict is shown through the devastating hailstorm that destroys Lencho’s entire cornfield. Lencho had worked hard all year and was expecting a good harvest. He was delighted when rain began to fall. However, nature turned hostile when the rain changed into a hailstorm that lasted for an hour and completely destroyed his crops. Despite all his hard work, Lencho was left helpless against the destructive force of nature. This shows how humans are sometimes powerless against natural calamities.
(ii) Conflict between humans themselves: This conflict is shown through Lencho’s mistrust of the post office employees. The postmaster and his colleagues selflessly collected money from their own pockets and sent it to Lencho to preserve his faith in God. However, when Lencho found only seventy pesos instead of the hundred he had asked for, he immediately accused the postal employees of stealing the remaining thirty pesos and called them “a bunch of crooks.” This demonstrates how human beings can distrust and misjudge one another, even when others are trying to help them.
Thinking about the Language (Textbook Questions and Answers)
I. Look at the following sentence from the story:
Q1. Match the column of storms with their descriptions.
| Storm | Description |
|---|---|
| Gale | A very strong wind |
| Whirlwind | A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot of damage |
| Cyclone | A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle |
| Hurricane | A violent tropical storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic Ocean |
| Tornado | A violent storm with very strong winds which move in a circle, often with a funnel-shaped cloud |
| Typhoon | A violent tropical storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Pacific Ocean |
II. Match the sentences in Column A with the meanings of ‘hope’ in Column B.
| Column A | Column B |
|---|---|
| 1. Will you get the subjects you want to study in college? I hope so. | (b) Wanting something to happen |
| 2. I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but I don’t like the way you are arguing. | (e) Showing concern politely |
| 3. This year we are hoping for a good crop. | (a) Expecting a good thing to happen |
| 4. I hope to pass the HSLC exam. | (f) Wishing for something to happen although it is unlikely |
| 5. The exam was difficult, but she is hoping she has passed. | (d) Thinking that something would happen |
| 6. I gave up the hope of ever getting my money back. | (c) Stopped believing that something would happen |
III. Relative Clauses – Join the sentences using who, whom, whose, or which.
Q1. 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.
Q2. 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.
Q3. These sportspersons 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.
Q4. Lencho prayed to God. God’s eyes see into our minds. (whose)
Answer: Lencho prayed to God, whose eyes see into our minds.
Q5. The man cheated me. I trusted him. (whom)
Answer: The man whom I trusted cheated me.
IV. Using Negatives for Emphasis
Find sentences in the story with negative words that are used for emphasis. A few are listed below:
- “Not a leaf remained on the trees.” — This emphasises the complete destruction caused by the hailstorm. Nothing was left intact.
- “It was nothing less than a letter to God.” — This emphasises the extraordinary and unusual nature of the letter. It was not an ordinary letter but something astonishing.
- “Never in his career as a postman had he known that address.” — This emphasises the unprecedented nature of the event. In his entire career, the postman had never encountered a letter addressed to God.
V. Metaphors from the Story
| Metaphor | Meaning |
|---|---|
| “Huge mountains of clouds” (for clouds) | The clouds were enormous and towering like mountains, suggesting an imminent heavy downpour. |
| “New coins” (for raindrops) | Raindrops were as valuable as coins because they promised a good harvest and future income. |
| “Frozen pearls” (for hailstones) | The hailstones were round, white, and shiny like pearls, but they were destructive unlike real pearls. |
| “A plague of locusts” (for devastating destruction) | Locusts destroy crops rapidly and in large numbers, emphasising widespread devastation. |
| “An ox of a man” (for Lencho) | Lencho was physically strong and worked as hard as an ox in his fields. |
Short Answer Type Questions (Additional Important Questions)
Q1. Where was Lencho’s house situated?
Answer: Lencho’s house was the only one in the entire valley. It was situated on the crest (top) of a low hill, from where one could see the river and the field of ripe corn dotted with flowers.
Q2. What could be seen from the crest of the hill?
Answer: From the crest of the hill, one could see the river and the field of ripe corn dotted with flowers that always promised a good harvest. It was a scenic view of the valley below.
Q3. What was the only thing that the earth needed?
Answer: The only thing the earth needed was a downpour or at least a shower of rain. The crops were ripe, and rainfall was essential for a good harvest.
Q4. Why did Lencho keep gazing at the sky throughout the morning?
Answer: Lencho kept gazing at the sky towards the northeast because he was anticipating rain. As an experienced farmer who knew his fields intimately, he could read the weather signs and expected rain from the approaching clouds.
Q5. When did it start raining? How did Lencho feel?
Answer: It began raining during the family’s supper time on a Sunday evening. Lencho felt extremely happy and joyful. He went out to feel the rain on his body and called the raindrops “new coins,” comparing the big drops to ten-cent pieces and the small ones to five-cent pieces.
Q6. What did Lencho compare the hailstones to?
Answer: Lencho did not compare the hailstones favourably. He said that the hailstones were like “frozen pearls” falling on his crops. After the destruction, he remarked bitterly that a plague of locusts would have left more than the hailstorm did.
Q7. What did Lencho tell his sons after the hailstorm?
Answer: After the hailstorm, Lencho told his sons with great sadness that a plague of locusts would have left more than what the hailstorm had left. He meant that the destruction caused by the hailstorm was far worse than what even a swarm of locusts could have done.
Q8. What did Lencho write in his first letter to God?
Answer: In his first letter to God, Lencho wrote that if God did not help him, his family would go hungry that year. He requested God to send him a hundred pesos so that he could sow his field again and survive until the new crop came, as the hailstorm had destroyed everything.
Q9. How did the postman react when he saw the letter addressed to God?
Answer: The postman was highly amused and laughed heartily when he saw the letter addressed “To God.” Never in his career as a postman had he seen such an address on a letter. He immediately showed it to the postmaster.
Q10. Why did the postmaster wish he had the faith of Lencho?
Answer: The postmaster wished he had the faith of Lencho because he was deeply impressed by Lencho’s absolute and unquestioning belief in God. Lencho’s faith was so pure and strong that he genuinely believed God would read his letter and send him money. The postmaster found this level of faith rare and admirable.
Q11. How much money could the postmaster collect? Why not the full amount?
Answer: The postmaster could collect only a little more than half the amount, i.e., about seventy pesos out of the hundred that Lencho had requested. He could not collect the full amount because it was a large sum of money, and despite asking his employees, friends, and contributing part of his own salary, the total was still short by thirty pesos.
Q12. What type of person was the postmaster?
Answer: The postmaster was a fat, amiable (friendly) fellow. He was a kind, generous, and sympathetic man who respected Lencho’s faith in God. He was also a man of action who went to great lengths to preserve Lencho’s belief by collecting money and sending it anonymously, signing the letter as “God.”
Q13. What did Lencho write in his second letter to God?
Answer: In his second letter to God, Lencho asked for the remaining thirty pesos that he believed God had sent but the post office employees had stolen. He specifically requested God not to send the money through the mail this time because he considered the post office employees to be “a bunch of crooks.”
Q14. Why did Lencho call the post office employees “a bunch of crooks”?
Answer: Lencho called the post office employees “a bunch of crooks” because he received only seventy pesos instead of the hundred he had asked from God. Since he believed that God could never make a mistake or deny his request, he concluded that the post office employees must have stolen the missing thirty pesos from the envelope.
Q15. What is the meaning of “an ox of a man”?
Answer: “An ox of a man” is a metaphor used to describe Lencho. It means that Lencho was a very strong and hardworking man who worked like an ox (bull) in his fields. Despite his physical strength and hard labour, he also had the ability to read and write.
Q16. What did Lencho see in the northeast direction?
Answer: Lencho saw huge mountains of clouds approaching from the northeast direction. These clouds indicated that rain was coming, which made him hopeful about a good harvest for his crops.
Q17. Why did Lencho not want God to send money through the post office?
Answer: Lencho did not want God to send money through the post office because he believed that the post office employees were dishonest. He was convinced that they had stolen thirty pesos from the first letter that God had sent him. So in his second letter, he asked God to send the remaining money directly to him, not through the mail.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q1. Give a character sketch of Lencho.
Answer: Lencho is the central character of the story “A Letter to God.” He is a poor but hardworking farmer who lives with his family on the crest of a low hill. He is described as “an ox of a man,” meaning he is physically strong and works tirelessly in his fields. Despite being a simple farmer, he is literate and can read and write. The most remarkable quality of Lencho is his unwavering and absolute faith in God. He genuinely believes that God sees everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience, and that God will directly help him in his time of need. This faith is so strong that he writes a letter to God asking for money after a hailstorm destroys his crops, and he is not at all surprised when he receives a reply. However, Lencho also has a significant flaw: while he trusts God completely, he distrusts human beings without any real reason. He calls the post office employees “a bunch of crooks” despite the fact that they were the very people who helped him. He is innocent, naive, determined, and caring about his family, but he lacks worldly wisdom and the ability to recognise human kindness.
Q2. Describe the role of the postmaster in the story “A Letter to God.”
Answer: The postmaster plays a very important role in the story “A Letter to God.” He is described as a fat, amiable fellow who is kind, generous, and sympathetic. When the postman shows him Lencho’s letter addressed to God, the postmaster first laughs but quickly becomes serious. He is deeply moved by Lencho’s extraordinary faith and exclaims, “What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter.” Not wanting to shake this innocent man’s faith in God, the postmaster decides to answer the letter himself. He realises that this task requires more than just goodwill, ink, and paper — it requires money. He collects contributions from his employees and friends and even gives a part of his own salary. Although he can only manage to collect seventy pesos out of the hundred that Lencho requested, he sends the money in an envelope signed “God.” The postmaster represents the goodness and compassion that exist in human beings. His selfless act of charity, however, goes unrecognised and is even misunderstood, as Lencho accuses the postal employees of stealing the missing thirty pesos. The postmaster’s character highlights the theme that good deeds are not always appreciated.
Q3. Explain the irony in the story “A Letter to God.”
Answer: The story “A Letter to God” is built on a powerful situational irony. The most significant irony is that the very people whom Lencho accuses of being dishonest and calls “a bunch of crooks” are the ones who actually helped him. The postmaster and his employees, moved by Lencho’s deep faith, collected money from their own pockets and sent it to Lencho in an envelope signed “God.” They did this selflessly, without expecting any reward or recognition. Yet, when Lencho found only seventy pesos instead of one hundred, he immediately blamed the postal staff for stealing the missing thirty pesos. He never suspected that the money had come from human beings rather than from God. This irony reveals how blind faith, while admirable in some ways, can also make a person unjust towards others. Lencho’s absolute trust in God made him unable to recognise and appreciate the genuine kindness of the people around him. The helpers became the accused, and the charitable became the condemned. This ironic twist makes the story both humorous and thought-provoking, leaving readers reflecting on the nature of faith, trust, and human relationships.
Q4. How did the hailstorm affect Lencho’s crops? What was his only hope after the disaster?
Answer: The hailstorm had a devastating and complete effect on Lencho’s crops. It began as a welcome rain but quickly turned into a destructive storm with strong winds and very large hailstones. The hailstorm lasted for about one hour, and by the time it stopped, Lencho’s entire cornfield was destroyed. The field was left white, as if covered with salt. Not a single leaf remained on the trees. The corn was totally destroyed, and the flowers were gone from the plants. Lencho sadly remarked that even a plague of locusts would have left more than the hailstorm did. After this complete destruction, Lencho’s only hope was the help of God. He believed that God sees everything and would surely help him in his hour of need. He spent the entire night thinking about this one hope. The following Sunday, at daybreak, he wrote a letter to God requesting a hundred pesos so that he could sow his field again and survive until the next crop came. His faith in God was his sole source of strength and hope in this time of utter despair.
Q5. Why did Lencho write a letter to God? What was the outcome of his letter?
Answer: Lencho wrote a letter to God because a severe hailstorm had completely destroyed his cornfield, and he and his family were facing the prospect of going hungry for the entire year. Having unwavering faith in God, Lencho believed that God sees everything and would certainly help him. In his letter, he asked God to send him a hundred pesos so that he could sow his field again and survive until the next harvest. He addressed the letter “To God,” put it in an envelope, and dropped it in the mailbox at the post office. The outcome of his letter was unexpected. The postmaster, moved by Lencho’s extraordinary faith, decided to help him. He collected money from his employees and friends, and contributed part of his own salary, managing to gather seventy pesos. He put the money in an envelope signed “God” and sent it to Lencho. However, when Lencho received the letter and found only seventy pesos, he became angry. He wrote a second letter to God asking for the remaining thirty pesos, this time requesting that God not send the money through the post office because he believed the employees had stolen the missing amount. Thus, the outcome was ironic: the helpers were accused of being thieves.
Q6. “Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money; such was his confidence.” Explain this statement in context of the story.
Answer: This statement highlights the depth of Lencho’s faith in God. When Lencho received a letter from “God” containing money, he did not show even the slightest surprise because he had expected God to reply and help him. His confidence in God was so absolute that he considered it perfectly normal for God to receive his letter, read it, and send him money. He had no doubt whatsoever that God would respond to his plea. For Lencho, God was not a distant or abstract concept; God was a real and accessible being who cared about every human being’s problems and had the power to solve them. This unshakeable faith is both admirable and naive. While it gave him the strength to endure his suffering and hope for a better future, it also made him blind to the real source of the help he received. He never considered that human beings might be behind the charitable act. His confidence, while inspiring in its purity, also led to the unjust accusation of the postal employees, showing that extreme faith without practical wisdom can sometimes lead to unfair judgments.
Q7. How does the story “A Letter to God” show that humanity still exists in the world?
Answer: The story “A Letter to God” beautifully demonstrates that humanity and compassion still exist in the world through the actions of the postmaster and his employees. When the postmaster receives Lencho’s letter addressed to God, he is deeply moved by the farmer’s innocent and unwavering faith. Instead of dismissing the letter as foolish, he decides to preserve Lencho’s faith by collecting money and sending it to him as if it came from God. He asks his employees and friends to contribute, and he himself gives a part of his salary for this charitable act. The fact that these people came together to help a complete stranger, without expecting any gratitude or recognition, shows the goodness and generosity that exist in human hearts. They sacrificed their own money not for personal gain but purely out of kindness and a desire to protect an innocent man’s faith. Even though Lencho ultimately accused them of being dishonest, their noble deed remains a shining example of selfless human compassion. The story teaches us that there are still people in the world who care about others and are willing to go out of their way to help those in need, even at personal cost.
Q8. “God could not have made a mistake, nor could He have denied Lencho what he had requested.” Explain this statement and its significance in the story.
Answer: This statement reveals the core of Lencho’s character and belief system. When Lencho counted the money in the envelope and found only seventy pesos instead of one hundred, he was faced with a contradiction: God was supposed to have sent him a hundred pesos, but the envelope contained only seventy. Instead of questioning God or suspecting that someone else might have sent the money, Lencho’s blind faith led him to a different conclusion. He firmly believed that God is perfect and all-powerful, and therefore God could not have made a mistake in counting the money. Similarly, God could not have deliberately denied Lencho the full amount he had asked for because God is merciful and always helps those in need. The only logical explanation, in Lencho’s mind, was that someone must have stolen the missing thirty pesos. He immediately blamed the post office employees, calling them “a bunch of crooks.” This statement is significant because it reveals how absolute faith can distort one’s perception of reality. Lencho’s trust in God was so rigid that he could not even consider any other possibility. It also creates the central irony of the story, as his faith led him to unjustly accuse the very people who had helped him.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
Q1. What was Lencho’s occupation?
(a) A teacher
(b) A postman
(c) A farmer
(d) A shopkeeper
Answer: (c) A farmer
Q2. Where was Lencho’s house situated?
(a) In the middle of the valley
(b) On the crest of a low hill
(c) Near the river bank
(d) In the town
Answer: (b) On the crest of a low hill
Q3. What did Lencho compare the raindrops to?
(a) Diamonds
(b) Pearls
(c) Silver coins
(d) New coins
Answer: (d) New coins
Q4. What destroyed Lencho’s crops?
(a) Flood
(b) Drought
(c) Hailstorm
(d) Locusts
Answer: (c) Hailstorm
Q5. How much money did Lencho ask from God?
(a) 50 pesos
(b) 70 pesos
(c) 100 pesos
(d) 200 pesos
Answer: (c) 100 pesos
Q6. Who found the letter addressed to God?
(a) The postmaster
(b) A postman
(c) Lencho’s wife
(d) A friend of Lencho
Answer: (b) A postman
Q7. What was the postmaster’s initial reaction to the letter?
(a) He was angry
(b) He laughed
(c) He was sad
(d) He ignored it
Answer: (b) He laughed
Q8. How much money did the postmaster manage to collect?
(a) 100 pesos
(b) 50 pesos
(c) 70 pesos
(d) 30 pesos
Answer: (c) 70 pesos
Q9. Why was Lencho angry after receiving the money?
(a) Because God did not reply
(b) Because the money was in coins
(c) Because he received only 70 pesos instead of 100
(d) Because the letter was not signed
Answer: (c) Because he received only 70 pesos instead of 100
Q10. What did Lencho call the post office employees?
(a) Angels
(b) Good Samaritans
(c) A bunch of crooks
(d) Honest workers
Answer: (c) A bunch of crooks
Q11. What literary device is used in “the field was white, as if covered with salt”?
(a) Metaphor
(b) Simile
(c) Personification
(d) Alliteration
Answer: (b) Simile
Q12. What is the figure of speech in “frozen pearls”?
(a) Simile
(b) Personification
(c) Metaphor
(d) Hyperbole
Answer: (c) Metaphor
Q13. Who signed the letter sent to Lencho?
(a) The postmaster
(b) The postman
(c) God
(d) Nobody
Answer: (c) God (The postmaster signed it as “God”)
Q14. What is the main theme of the story?
(a) The power of nature
(b) The importance of education
(c) Unwavering faith in God and the irony of human nature
(d) The role of the post office
Answer: (c) Unwavering faith in God and the irony of human nature
Q15. What currency is mentioned in the story?
(a) Dollars
(b) Rupees
(c) Pesos
(d) Euros
Answer: (c) Pesos
Extract Based Questions (Passage Based Questions)
Extract 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 but see the sky towards the northeast.”
(a) Where was Lencho’s house located?
Answer: Lencho’s house was the only one in the entire valley. It was situated on the crest (top) of a low hill.
(b) What could be seen from the height of the hill?
Answer: From the height of the hill, one could see the river and the field of ripe corn dotted with flowers that always promised a good harvest.
(c) What did the earth need?
Answer: The earth needed a downpour or at least a shower of rain for the crops to grow well and produce a good harvest.
(d) Why was Lencho looking at the sky towards the northeast?
Answer: Lencho was looking at the sky towards the northeast because he knew his fields intimately and was expecting rain. He could see clouds gathering in that direction and was hoping for rainfall that would be beneficial for his crops.
Extract 2
“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) Why did Lencho have a “satisfied expression”?
Answer: Lencho had a satisfied expression because he was watching his field of ripe corn being watered by the rain. The rain was exactly what his crops needed, and he was happy to see the field draped in a curtain of rain, which promised a good harvest.
(b) What happened suddenly that changed the situation?
Answer: Suddenly, a strong wind began to blow and very large hailstones began to fall along with the rain. The pleasant rain turned into a destructive hailstorm that would devastate Lencho’s crops.
(c) What are “frozen pearls” in this passage?
Answer: “Frozen pearls” is a metaphor used for the hailstones. The hailstones were round, white, and shiny, resembling pearls. The boys ran out to collect them, treating them like precious objects, not realising the destruction they were causing to the crops.
(d) What literary device is used in “new silver coins” and “frozen pearls”?
Answer: The literary device used is metaphor. The hailstones are directly compared to “new silver coins” and “frozen pearls” without using “like” or “as.” These metaphors highlight the appearance of the hailstones while contrasting their beauty with their destructive nature.
Extract 3
“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 was Lencho’s only hope?
Answer: Lencho’s only hope was the help of God. He believed that God sees everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience, and that God would surely help him in his time of crisis.
(b) What does the phrase “an ox of a man” mean?
Answer: “An ox of a man” is a metaphor that means Lencho was a very strong and hardworking man. Just like an ox works tirelessly in the field, Lencho also laboured hard on his farm. Despite being a simple, strong farmer, he had the ability to read and write.
(c) What did Lencho decide to do?
Answer: Lencho decided to write a letter to God. The following Sunday, at daybreak, he began writing the letter and planned to carry it himself to town and place it in the mail at the post office.
(d) Why is the letter described as “nothing less than a letter to God”?
Answer: The expression “nothing less than a letter to God” is used for emphasis. It highlights the extraordinary and unprecedented nature of Lencho’s action. Writing a letter to God was something unusual and remarkable. The negative phrase “nothing less than” emphasises that Lencho was bold and sincere enough to write directly to God, which was something nobody had ever done before.
Extract 4
“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 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.”
(a) Describe the postmaster in your own words.
Answer: The postmaster was a fat, friendly, and kind-hearted man. He had a good sense of humour, as he initially laughed at the letter, but he was also sensitive and compassionate, as he quickly became serious and was moved by Lencho’s faith. He was generous enough to take action to help a stranger.
(b) What did the postmaster admire about Lencho?
Answer: The postmaster admired Lencho’s extraordinary and unshakeable faith in God. He was so impressed that he exclaimed, “What faith!” and wished he himself had the same level of faith as the man who wrote the letter.
(c) What idea did the postmaster come up with?
Answer: The postmaster came up with the idea of answering Lencho’s letter himself. He decided to collect money and send it to Lencho in order to preserve Lencho’s faith in God.
(d) What does “something more than goodwill, ink and paper” mean?
Answer: It means that simply writing a kind reply to Lencho’s letter was not enough. Lencho had asked for money (a hundred pesos), so the postmaster needed actual money to send along with the reply. Mere words of encouragement written with ink on paper would not have been sufficient; real financial help was required.
Extract 5
“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. Immediately, Lencho went up to the window to ask for paper and ink.”
(a) Why was Lencho not surprised on seeing the money?
Answer: Lencho was not surprised because he had absolute confidence and faith in God. He fully expected God to receive his letter, read it, and send him the money he had asked for. Receiving money from God seemed completely natural and expected to him.
(b) Why did Lencho become angry?
Answer: Lencho became angry because when he counted the money, he found only seventy pesos instead of the hundred pesos he had requested. He was sure that God had sent him the full amount, but someone must have stolen the rest.
(c) Why did Lencho believe that “God could not have made a mistake”?
Answer: Lencho’s faith in God was so complete and unquestioning that he believed God was perfect and incapable of making any error. In his mind, God was all-knowing, all-powerful, and always fair. Therefore, it was impossible for God to either make a counting mistake or deliberately deny Lencho the full amount.
(d) Why did Lencho ask for paper and ink?
Answer: Lencho asked for paper and ink to write a second letter to God. In this letter, he asked God to send him the remaining thirty pesos, but this time he requested that God not send the money through the post office because he believed the postal employees had stolen the missing amount.
Value Based Questions
Q1. The postmaster and his employees helped Lencho selflessly, yet Lencho accused them of being thieves. What values can we learn from this situation?
Answer: This situation teaches us several important values. First, we learn the value of selfless service and compassion from the postmaster and his employees. They helped a complete stranger without expecting any reward or recognition. They contributed their own money to preserve an innocent man’s faith. Second, we learn the importance of gratitude and recognising the kindness of others. Lencho failed to appreciate the help he received because his blind faith made him suspicious of the very people who helped him. Third, we learn that doing good deeds is its own reward. Even though the postal employees were unfairly accused, their act of kindness was still noble and meaningful. The story teaches us that we should always be grateful for the help we receive and should not jump to conclusions about others without evidence. We should have faith in God, but we should also trust and appreciate the goodness in the people around us.
Q2. “Humanity still exists in the world.” How does the story “A Letter to God” justify this statement? What human values are highlighted through the actions of the post office employees?
Answer: The story “A Letter to God” strongly justifies the statement that humanity still exists in the world through the selfless actions of the postmaster and his employees. When they received Lencho’s letter to God, instead of mocking the farmer or ignoring his plea, the postmaster was deeply moved by his faith. He decided to help Lencho by collecting money from his own salary, his employees, and his friends. This act of charity, kindness, generosity, and empathy shows that there are still people in the world who care about the suffering of others. The human values highlighted through their actions include: (i) Compassion — they felt for Lencho’s suffering and wanted to help; (ii) Generosity — they donated their own hard-earned money for a stranger; (iii) Selflessness — they did not expect any thanks or recognition in return; (iv) Respect for faith — they went to great lengths to preserve Lencho’s innocent faith in God. These values remind us that even in a world full of selfishness and indifference, there are still people who embody the spirit of true humanity.
Q3. Lencho had complete faith in God but no faith in human beings. Is it right to blindly trust one and distrust the other? What values should we adopt in life?
Answer: No, it is not right to blindly trust one entity and completely distrust others. Lencho’s story teaches us that while having faith in God is admirable, it should not make us blind to the goodness that exists in the people around us. Lencho’s absolute faith in God was a source of strength for him during his crisis, but his complete distrust of human beings led him to commit a grave injustice. He accused the very people who helped him of being dishonest. The values we should adopt in life include: (i) Balanced faith — we should have faith in God but also trust in the goodness of people; (ii) Gratitude — we should always be thankful for the help we receive, regardless of who provides it; (iii) Fair judgment — we should not accuse others without evidence or reason; (iv) Open-mindedness — we should be willing to consider different possibilities rather than clinging to a single rigid belief. A wise person is one who combines faith with reason, trust in the divine with appreciation for human kindness, and hope with practical wisdom.
We hope that the solutions provided here for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 1 “A Letter to God” by G.L. Fuentes will help you in your HSLC examination preparation. If you have any questions or need further clarification on any answer, feel free to reach out to us at HSLC Guru.