1. A Letter to God G. L. Fuentes

A Letter to God

_G. L. Fuentes

Summary:

Lencho’s house and crop

Lencho had his lonely house in the valley. It was situated on the top of a low hill. From there one could see the river and the fields. Lencho had a good crop. But it needed rain badly.

It starts raining

Lencho saw the sky in the north. It had rain clouds. His wife was preparing the supper. He told her that God willing it would rain. Soon big drops of rain began to fall. Lencho went out to feel the rain on his body. He was very glad. He said that the drops of rain were new coins.

Hailstorm and loss therefrom

But soon the hail rained on everywhere. The fields became white as if covered with salt. The crop was totally destroyed. Lencho became sad. He felt that they would go hungry that year. Also, they would have no seeds for the next crop.

Lencho writes to God

But Lencho had a single hope: help from God. He was sure that no one dies of hunger. He had a great belief in God. The following Sunday he went to the post office. He wrote a letter to God to send him one hundred pesos.

He wrote ‘God’ as the address.

Postmaster collects money for Leneho

An employee of the post office showed this letter to the postmaster. The postmaster laughed at Boeing the address. He wish to have such faith in God had had an idea:

answer the letter But, rending it, he found that the writer needed money. It was to keep the faith of the writer. So he asked all his friends and employees to give him some money.

Money was sent to Lencho

The postmaster could collect, only seventy pesos this way. He put the money in an envelope and addressed it to Lencho. He wrote a single word on it ‘God’ as a signature.

Lencho receives the money

The following Sunday Lencho came to the post office. He asked if there was any letter for him. He was given that letter. Lencho did not show any surprise at seeing the money. He got angry when he counted the money. He felt that God could not have made a mistake.

Lencho’s letter to God, calls post office employees crooks

Immediately Lencho wrote another letter to God. He put it into the mailbox. The Postmaster opened it. Lencho had written in that letter that he had received only seventy pesos. But he had asked for one hundred pesos. He asked God to send him the rest. But God should not send it through the mail It was because the post office employees were crooks

11. HIGHLIGHTING THE MAIN POINTS: 1. A Letter to God G. L. Fuentes

1. Lencho, a poor but hard-working farmer, stands on the hill near his house and surveys the scene.

2. He hopes for a good crop that needs a little rain. The rain falls but the hailstorm destroys it completely.

3. Lencho sees his and his family ruined as they depended on the crop now destroyed.

4. He has complete faith in God. He writes a letter to God to send him one hundred pesos to sustain them and for the seeds for next year.

5. The post office officials laugh at seeing Lencho’s letter to God.

6. The postmaster decides to help Lencho in distress by sending him money.

The postmaster collects money from the post office officials and contributes from his own pocket also. However, he is able to collect only seventy pesos.

8. The money is sent to Lencho. Lencho gets angry after receiving seventy pesos. He is sure that God can’t err in sending him money.

9. He feels that God had sent him one hundred pesos but the post office officials have stolen a part of it.

10. Lencho has complete faith in God’s magnanimity and He never forgets his devotees.

11. He writes another letter to God to send him the balance of money but not through the post office officials as they are ‘a bunch of crooks’.

Iv. IMPORTANT PASSAGES FOR COMPREHENSION

Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow each.

1. A Letter to God G. L. Fuentes

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 northeast.

“Now we’re really going to get some water, woman.”

The woman, who was preparing supper, replied: “Yes, God willing.”

The older boys were working in the field, while the smaller ones were playing near the house until the woman called to them all: “Come for dinner”. It was during the meal that, just as Lencho had predicted, big drops of rain began to fall. In the northeast, huge mountains of clouds could be seen approaching. The air was as 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 drops ten-cent pieces and the little ones are fives”. (Page 3) (CBSE 2015)

Questions

(a) What qualities of Lencho’s character are brought out in the passage?

(b) What was peculiar about the house in which Lencho lived?

(d) What does the word ‘intimate’ in the passage mean?

(a) Lencho’s faith in God and hopefulness are reflected as qualities of his character.

(b) It was the only one in the entire valley. It was situated on the crest of a low hill.

(d) It means “very close”

2. In the northeast 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.”

With a satisfied expression, he regarded the field of ripe corn with its flowers, draped in a curtain of rain. (Page 4)

Questions

(i) How did the air become fresh and sweet?

(ii) Why did Lencho go out in the rain?

(iii) Give the meaning of ‘draped’.

(iv) How did Lencho look at the fields?

Answers

(i) The air became fresh and sweet by the possibility of clouds from the north-east.

(ii) Lencho went out to feel the raindrops on his body.

(iii) ‘covered’.

(iv) He (Lencho) looked at the fields with satisfaction.

3. That night was a sorrowful one. “All our work, for nothing.”

“There’s no one who can help us.”

“We’ll all go hungry this year.”

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.

“Don’t be so upset, even though this seems like a total loss. Remember, no one dies of hunger. “

“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. (Page 5)

Questions

(i) Why was Lencho’s family full of sorrow?

(ii) What does ‘Help from God’ mean?

(iii) What has been taught to Lencho

(iv) Find a word from the passage which means ‘lonely’ (CBSE 2012)

Answers

(i) Lencho’s family was full of sorrow because the crops were fully ruined.

(ii) ‘Help from God’ means that God will surely help him with food, money etc.

(iii) Lencho has been taught that God sees everything, even in one’s conscience.

(iv) It is ‘solitary’.

4] 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.

Questions

(i) What line suggests that Lencho was literate?

(ii) What strange action did Lencho do?

(iii) What help did Lencho want from God? (Page 5)

(iv) What does the word, ‘ox’ in the passage suggest? (CBSE 2012)

Answers

(i) ‘… but still he knew how to write’.

(ii) He wrote a letter to God.

(iii) He wanted God to send him one hundred pesos.

(iv) ‘Ox’ suggests that Lencho was strongly built.

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. 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’.

It was impossible for him to gather together the hundred pesos, so he was able to send the farmer only a little more than half. (Page 6)

Questions

(i) How does the postmaster come to know about Lencho’s faith in God?

(ii) What does the postmaster need to help Lencho?

(iii) Give the meaning of ‘obliged’ here.

(iv) Who gave the money?

Answers

(i) The postmaster comes to know about Lencho’s faith in God by reading his letter to Him.

(ii) He needs money to help Lencho.

(iii) ‘compelled’.

(iv) The postmaster and his friends gave the money.

On the public writing table. he started to write. with much wrinkling of his brow, caused by the effort he had to make to express his ideas. 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.” (Pages 6—7)

Questions

1. That Lencho was not much educated is clear from

(a) the wrinkles on his brow while writing (b) the manner he wrote

c) his effort to write d) his worry to express better.

2. Lencho’s manner of posting the letter showed that

(a) he was basically a very simple person

(b) he needed education

c) he had to be taught how to write a letter

(d) he needed a stamp.

3. Lencho wrote another letter to God because

(a) God sent him little money (b) God didn’t send him much

money

4. Actually, the money Lencho received was from

(a ) the postmaster (b) the post office officials

5. The word ‘crooks’ means

(a) idiots (b) stupid persons

Answers

1. (a) the wrinkles on his brow while writing

2. (a) he was basically a very simple person

3. d) he didn’t get the full money that he had requested.

4. (c) the postmaster, his friends etc.

5. (d) dishonest persons

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.” (Page 7) Questions

(i) What does Lencho mean by ‘the rest’ here?

(ii) What was Lencho thinking of while writing the letter?

(iii) Why did Lencho ask God to send the remaining money?

(iv) Find a word from the passage which means ‘group’. (CBSE 2012)

Answers

(i) By ‘the rest’ Lencho means the remaining money.

(ii) Lencho was thinking of the rest of the money.

(iii) Lencho asked God to send the remaining money as he needed it badly.

(iv) It is a ‘bunch’.

V. TEXTUAL EXERCISES

BEFORE YOU READ (Page 1)

They say faith can move mountains. But what should we put our faith in? This is the question this story delicately poses.

Lencho is a farmer who writes a letter to God when his crops are ruined, asking for a hundred pesos. Does Lencho’s letter reach God? Does God send him the money? Think what your answers to these questions would be, and guess how the story continues before you begin to read it.

Answer

I think the letter of Lencho does not reach God. God doesn’t live in a specific place. He is everywhere. When God does not receive Lencho’s letter, how can He send him any money? But he knows everyone’s heart. Somehow it is assumed that He may have sent the money. I guess the story may continue like this.

Activity

1. One of the cheapest ways to send money to someone is through the post office. Have you ever sent or received money in this way? Here’s what you have to do. (As you read the instructions, discuss with your teacher in class the meanings of these words: counter, counter clerk, appropriate, acknowledgement, counterfoil, record. Consult a dictionary if necessary. Are there words corresponding to these English words in your own language?)

2. Fill out the Money Order form given below using the clues that follow the form. (See N.C.E.R.T. book on page 2): 1. A Letter to God G. L. Fuentes

- Think about who you will send the money to, and how much. You might want to send money for a magazine subscription, or to a relative or a friend.
- Or you may fill out the form with yourself as sender and your partner as receiver. Use a part of your pocket money, and submit the form at the nearest post office to see how it’s done. See how your partner enjoys getting money by post!
- Notice that the form has three parts—the Money Order form, the part for official use and the Acknowledgement. What would you write in the ‘Space for Communication’?

Answer

Please try it yourself.

Now complete the following statements:

(i) In addition to the sender, the form has to be signed by the …

(ii) The ‘Acknowledgement’ section of the form is sent back by the post office to the after the …….. signs it.

(iii) The ‘Space for Communication’ section is used for……

(iv) The form has six sections. The sender needs to fill out ………….. sections and the receiver

Answers

1. Mainly to be worked out at class level under the supervision and guidance of the class teacher.

These words like counter, counter clerk, appropriate, acknowledgement, counterfoil’ record etc, correspond to the words used by us. These English words have become accepted in our own language also. We use them as they are in English language. The Money Order form is duly filled in with the relevant details.

Students may fill out the Money Order Form with their own details. A sample answer is given below for filling in the blanks given

(i) receiver (ii) sender, receiver

(iii) writing message etc. (iv) first, fourth and sixth; third

ORAL COMPREHENSION CHECK Page

1. What did Lencho hope for?

2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?

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

4. What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped? (CBSE 2012)

Answers

1. Lencho hoped for water in the form of rain for his crop.

2. He said this because his crop really needed rain for being a good harvest. So when it rained, he saw it in the form of ‘new coins’.

3. The rain changed into a hailstorm. Hails fell on the house, the garden, the hillside and the cornfield. They destroyed Lencho’s fields completely.

4. Lencho felt completely broken. The hail had left nothing. He felt that they would have no corn or seed that year.

Similar Questions

1. “These are not rain drops falling from the sky, they are new coins. The big drops are ten cent pieces and the little ones are fives” Why did Lencho use this statement? CBSE 2012)

2. “It’s really getting bad now, ” said Lencho. How did the rain become ‘bad now’.

ORAL COMPREHENSION CHECK (Page 6)

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

2. Who read the letter?

3. What did the postmaster do then?

Answers

1. Lencho had faith in God. He felt that God’s eyes saw everything. So he wrote a letter to God.

2. The postman and the postmaster read Lencho’s letter (to God)

3. The postmaster helped Lencho by sending money on behalf of God. Lencho had written a letter to God to help him with money. The postmaster didn’t want to shake Lencho’s faith in God. So, he collected money and sent to Lencho.

Similar Question

1. How did the postmaster help Lencho? (CBSE 2012)

ORAL COMPREHENSION CHECK (Page

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

2. What made him angry

Answers

1. No, Lencho was not surprised to find a letter for him with money. It was because he had full faith in God. He knew that God saw everything even in one’s conscience.

‘2, Lencho had requested God to send him 100 pesos. But God sent him only 70 pesos. It was not good on God’s part. This made him angry.

THINKING ABOUT THE TEXT (Page 7)

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

does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?

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

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.)

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

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

Answers

1. Lencho has complete faith in God. The sentences are: “All through the night, Lencho thought only of his one hope : the help of God, whose eyes … see everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience”.

2, The postmaster doesn’t want that Lencho’s faith in God should break. He, in fact, feels proud that Lencho has such a great faith in God. He signs the letter again to keep Lencho’s faith intact. If he doesn’t do so, Lencho might think differently. His faith in God may shake.

3. Lencho did not try to find out who had sent the money to him. It was because he had complete faith in God. He, therefore, didn’t bother about the sender.

4. Lencho thinks that the rest of the money has been taken by the post office officials. The irony in the situation is that the post office officials contribute money for Lencho. Yet he looks at them as ‘crooks’.

5. Yes, there are still people like Lencho in the world. He is such a person who goes any extent in his faith in God. He is resolute, determined, and firm. Lencho is also naive’, ‘stupid’ and ‘comical’.

6. This conflict arc illustrated in the form of a hailstorm destroying Lencho’s crop. So he thinks of God and writes a letter to Him for help. The other conflict is illustrated by Lencho. It is in his not believing in the post office officials’ honesty. He thinks of them ‘crooks’ and dishonest persons.

Similar Question money to Lencho? (CBSE 2012)

1. Why did the postmaster send money to Lencho?

THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE (Page 8)

l. Look at tile following sentence from the story

Suddenly a strong wind began to blow and along with the rain very large hailstones began to fall.

‘Hailstones’ are small balls of ice that fall like rain. A storm in which hailstones fall is a ‘hailstorm’. You know that a storm is bad weather with strong winds, rain, thunder and lightning.

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? You may use a dictionary to help you.

gale, whirlwind, cyclone, hurricane, tornado, typhoon

1. A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle: _ _c_ _ _ _

2. An extremely strong wind : _ a _ _

3. A violent tropical storm with very strong wind . _ _P_ _ _ _

4. A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel: _ _ _n_ _ _

5. A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic Ocean: _ _r_ _ _ _ _ _

6. A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot of damage: _ _ _ _l_ _ _ _

Il. Notice how the word ‘hope’ is used in these sentences from the story.

(a) I hope it (the hailstorm) passes quickly.

(b) There was a single hope: help from God.

In the first example, ‘hope’ is a verb which means you wish for something to happen. In the second example it is a noun meaning a chance for something to happen.

Match the sentences in column ‘A’ with the meanings of ‘hope’ in column ‘B’ :

Will you get the subjects you want to study in college ?

I hope so.

2. ‘I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but I don’t like the way you are arguing.’

3. This discovery will give new hope to HIV/AIDS sufferers.

4. We were hoping against hope that the judges would not notice our mistakes.

5. I called early in the hope of speaking to her before she went to school

6. Just when everybody had given up hope, the fishermen came back, seven days after the cyclone.

(i) a feeling that something good will probably happen.

(ii) thinking that this would happen (It may or may not have happened

(iii) stopped believing that this good thing would happen.

(iv) wanting something to happen (and thinking it quite possible).

(v) showing concern that what you say should

not offend or disturb the other person: a way of being polite.

(vi) wishing for something to happen, although this is very unlikely.

Answers

1. 1. cyclone 2. gale 3. typhoon 4. tornado 5. hurricane 6. whirlwind

11. 1. (i) 2. (ii) 3. (v) 4. (vi) 5. (it,) 6. (iii)

Ill. Relative Clauses

Look at these sentences

(a) All morning Lencho—who knew his fields intimately—looked at the sky.

(b) The woman, who was preparing supper, replied, “Yes, God willing.”

The italicised parts of the sentences give us more information about Lencho and the woman. We call them ‘relative clauses’. Notice that they begin with a ‘relative pronoun’ who. Other common relative pronouns are whom, whose, and which.

The relative clauses in (a) and (b) above are called ‘non-defining’, because we already know the identity of the person they describe. Lencho is a particular person, and there is a particular woman he speaks to. We don’t need the information in the relative clause to pick these people out from a larger set.

A non-defining relative clause usually has a comma in front of it and a comma after it (some writers use a ‘dash’ (—) instead, as in the story). If the relative clause comes at the end, we just put a full stop.

Join the sentences given below using who, whom, whose, which, as suggested.

1. I often go to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India. (which)

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

3. These sportspersons are going to meet the President. Their performance has been excellent. (whose)

4. Lencho prayed to God. His eyes see into our minds. (whose)

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

Sometimes the relative pronoun in a relative clause remains ‘hidden’. For example, 100k at the first sentence of the story:

(a) The house—the only one in the entire valley—sat on the crest of a low hill.

We can rewrite this sentence as:

(b) The house—which was the only one in the entire valley—sat on the crest of a low hill.

In (a), the relative pronoun ‘which’ and the verb ‘was’ are not present.

Answers

1. I often go to Mumbai which is the commercial capital of India.

2. My mother who cooks very well is going to host a TV show on cooking.

3. These sportspersons whose performance has been excellent are going to meet the President.

4. Lencho prayed to God whose eyes see into our minds.

5. This man whom I trusted cheated me.

IV. Using Negatives for Emphasis

We know that sentences with words such as no, not or nothing show the absence of something, or contradict something. For example

(a) This year we will have no corn. (Corn will be absent.)

(b) The hail has left nothing. (Absence of a crop.)

(Contradicts the common idea of what the drops of water falling from the sky are.)

But sometimes negative words are used just to emphasise an idea. Look at these sentences from the story.

(d) Lencho…had done nothing else but see the sky towards the north-east.

(He had done only this.)

(e) The man went out for no other reason than to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body. (He had only this reason.)

(f) Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money.

(He showed no surprise at all.) Now look back at example (c). Notice that the contradiction in fact serves to emphasise the value or usefulness of the rain to the farmer.

Find sentences in the story with negative words, which express the following ideas emphatically.

1. The trees lost all their leaves.

2. The letter was addressed to God himself.

3. The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.

Answers

1. Not a leaf remained on the trees.

2. It was nothing less than a letter to God.

3. Never in his career as a postman had he known that address.

V. Metaphors

The word ‘metaphor’ comes from a Greek word meaning ‘transfer’. Metaphors compare two things or ideas: a quality or feature of one thing is transferred to another thing. Some common metaphors are

• the leg of the table: The leg supports our body. So, the object that supports a table is described as a leg.

• the heart of the city: The heart is an important organ in the centre of our body. So, this word is used to describe the central area of a city.

In pairs, find metaphors from the story to complete the table below. Try to say what qualities are being compared. One has been done for you.

Object Metaphor Quality or Feature Compared

Cloud Huge mountains of clouds the mass or ‘hugeness’ of

mountains

Raindrops

Hailstones

Locusts

An epidemic (a disease)

that spread very rapidly and

leaves many people dead

An ox of a man

Answers

Object Metaphor Quality or Feature Compared

Cloud Huge mountains of clouds The mass or ‘hugeness’ of

Mountains

Raindrops Coins, New silver coins Crop and its being very good

Hailstones frozen pearls destruction of the crop

Locusts A plague An epidemic (a disease) that spreads

An epidemic (a disease) that spreads

very rapidly and leaves many people

dead

Lencho An ox of a man his robustness, strength and

resoluteness

SPEAKING

Have you ever been in great difficulty, and felt that only a miracle could help you? How was your problem solved? Speak about this in class with your teacher.

Answer

Yes, once I fell in a great difficulty. I had mild asthma. I couldn’t take the medicine in time. In fact, I forgot. The weather became cloudy and stuffy. There came an attack on me. I had my inhaler with me. But it had only one puff. I puffed at it. There was no relief. I started gasping for breath. I saw my end was near as I gasped for breath. Suddenly, my mother found another inhaler She gave it to me to puff. I puffed and felt some relief. I was at once taken to hospital

LISTENING

Listen to the letter (given below ‘In This Lesson’) read out by your teacher/on the audio tape. As you listen fill in the table given below.

The writer apologises (says sorry) because

The writer has sent this to the reader

The writer sent it in the month of

The reason for not writing earlier

Sarah goes to

Who is writing to whom ?

Where and when were they last together ?

Answers

Mainly to be attempted at class level with the help of the teacher. The appropriate answers are given below :

(a) she did not write to Arti for a very long time.

(b) after sending a birthday card.

(d) was the writer’s shifting from Bangalore to Kanpur.

(e) a primary school called ‘Little Feet’.

(f) Jaya is writing to Arti.

(g) They were at Bangalore. This happened in the rainy season. Asthmatic attacks usually occur in the rainy season.

VI. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q. 1. Where was Lencho’s house situated? Why did he sit seeing the sky?

Ans: Lencho’s house was situated in a valley. It was the only one in the entire valley. It was on the crest of a low hill. One could see the river and the field of ripe corn from here. Lencho sat the whole day looking at the sky for rains. It was because his crop needed the rain to ripen

Q2. Describe the destruction caused by the hailstones in Lencho’s fields.

Ans. It rained and rained. It changed into hailstones. Not a leaf remained on the trees.

Th e corn was totally destroyed. The flowers had gone from the plants. Not a leaf of corn remained in the fields. Hailstones had destroyed everything. Even the locusts would not have done so much destruction. It was a sorrowful night for Lencho.

Q3. What are the raindrops compared to and why?

Lencho calls the raindrops ‘new coins. Why does he call them so? (CBSE 2010)

Ans. Lencho looked at the raindrops. He compared thorn to new coins of because the crops needed the rain badly. The rain was coming in drops now. are A good crop would mean money. So, the crops were money for Lencho. So compared with coins.

Q4. ‘All through the night, Lencho thought only of his ono hope? What was it? How did he think of it?

Ans. Lencho could not sleep the whole night. Hailstones had caused much loss. His crops were totally destroyed. His only hope was ‘the help of’ God.’ He felt that God’s eyes see everything. The hope helped him to face the ruin of crops. He felt that no one dies of hunger. One should not be upset even in the face of total loss.

5. What did Lencho do to face the sadness caused by the destruction of the crop?

Ans. Lencho faced a big problem. His family would starve. So, he thought of’ God at hour of crisis. He had a faith in God who sees everything. He thought that everyone in family would die. He needed help against hunger. So, he decided to write a letter to God. He would ask God for help. God would save him and help his family to overcome the sadness.

Q. 6. How did the postman and the postmaster react to Lencho’s letter to God?

Ans. The postman was surprised to see Lencho’s letter to God. He had never seen a letter addressed to God. No one had ever written such a letter to God. So he read letter to God. He laughed at it. He took the letter to the postmaster. The postmaster was surprised at Lencho’s faith in God. He himself wanted to have such a faith in God.

Q. 7. How did Lencho react when he counted the money? What did he do thereafter?

Ans. Lencho had never thought that God would send him less money. So, he got angry when he counted the money. He went up to the window to ask for paper and ink. He wrote another letter to God. He showed his anger through his wrinkled eyebrows. He made a complaint against the officials.

Q8. What did Lencho write in his second letter to God?

Ans. Lencho was angry. He decided to write another letter to God. He wrote about the remaining money in his second letter to God. He wrote that he had asked for a hundred pesos. But he received only seventy pesos. He asked God to send the balance amount but not through the mail. It was because the post office employees were a bunch of crooks.

Q9. Were the post office employees really the crooks?

Ans. The post office employees were not really the crooks. They were nice people as they collected the money for Lencho. They were true human beings. They were sympathetic and helpful. They didn’t want to shake Lencho’s faith in God. However, Lencho was foolish with a very simple mind. He called them crooks in his simplicity of mind. It was out of his blind faith in God.

Vil. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS: 1. A Letter to God G. L. Fuentes

Q. I. Why did Lencho write a letter to God ?

Ans. Lencho’s fields were totally destroyed by the hailstorm. He thought that his family would not survive. So, he wrote a letter to God to send him one hundred pesos; immediately.

Q2. (i) What did the postmaster need to answer the letter? How did he collect it?

(ii) now did lencho react to the help ?

Aus. (i) The postmaster was a kind man. He wondered at the faith of Lencho in God. He did not wish to shake it. Instead. he wished he had such a faith in Him. He opened up the letter. He decided to reply the letter. But he needed something more than goodwill. Lencho had requested God to send him money. The postmaster decided to send this money to him. So, he asked for money from his employees. He himself gave a part of his salary. It was impossible for him to collect together the hundred pesos. So, he was able to collect only seventy pesos. It was sent to Lencho.

(ii) Lencho came to the post office a bit earlier than usual. He asked if there was a letter for him. The postman gave a letter to him. Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing themoney. Such was his confidence God! But he became very angry when he counted the money. God could not have made such a mistake. He also could not have denied what he had requested. He had such a faith in God. He at once wrote another letter to God. He wrote to God to send the remaining money not through the mail. It was because all the post office employees were a bunch of crooks.

Q3. But don’t send it to me through the mail, because the post-office employees are bunch of crooks” Why did Lencho say so? What is your impression of the post. office employees?

Ans: Lencho spoke these words in his ignorance. He never knew that man can be as kind as God. He had appealed to God. When he got money, he thought it was from God. However, the amount was less than he had appealed for. After all, God can be neither poor nor miserly. So, Lencho believed that the post office employees had taken the money. Hence, he called them a ‘bunch of crooks’.

In my opinion post office employees were only too good. They had only helped Lencho. They did not want Lencho’s faith in God to lessen. They were ready even to give its credit to God. But their kind actions were returned with abuse.

Similar Question

Lencho addresses the post office employees as a “bunch of crooks”, why? Give reasons in support of your answer. (CBSE 2012)

Q. 4. How do you think the postmaster felt when he received Lencho’s second letter? What do you think he did?

Ans. I think the postmaster had never expected such a reply from Lencho. When he had received such a letter from Lencho, he could have laughed much. He would have been more glad to see Lencho’s great faith in God. The postmaster would also have wondered at the simplicity of Lencho. He would have felt happy to see Lencho as a great worshipper of God • He was a kind-hearted fellow. He also had a great wish to have such faith in God like Lencho • so he would have asked his friends to contribute to thirty pesos. He would have sent it to Lencho•

q. 5. How did the hailstones affect Lencho’s fields? What was Lencho’s only hope? (CBSE

Or flow was Lencho’s crop destroyed? How did he ask God for help?

Ans. Lencho was a hard-working farmer. He depended completely on his fields for his living. He expected a rich harvest that year. Only a little rain was needed for the crop to ripen. But it rained heavily. It was followed by hailstorm. The crop was completely destroyed. It was a great blow to Lencho. feared that his family would starve without food. Also, he had no seed for the next harvest.

But Lencho believed firmly that nobody (lies of hunger. But he had ono hope, It wag help from God. So, he wrote a letter to God. Ile asked for a hundred pesos as help.

Q. G. Give a character sketch of Lencho. (C’BSE 2012)

Ans. Lencho is a very simple-hearted person. Ile is a poor farmer. He works very hard in his fields. He depends for his livelihood on his crops. If’ his crops are good, he is happy. If they are destroyed by the seasonal changes, he is unhappy. Lencho has a firm faith in God. He sees God the only hope when the hailstorm has destroyed his crop. Lencho is very honest and straightforward. He is far from any deception or dishonesty. He is not afraid to speak the truth. He calls the post office employees ‘crooks’. It is because he thinks they have stolen his money sent to him by God. This way he can also be called a fool.

Q. 7. ‘A Letter to God’ illustrates the belief that faith in God is always rewarded. Lencho has a firm faith in God and He, through the post office officials, helps His devotees. Write a brief paragraph on the value involved in it, in about 80 words. Give the paragraph a suitable title. (CBSE 2012) Ans. Faith in God is always Rewarded

Faith in God means a firm belief in the Almighty. It also means that He helps us in our difficulties. We may not know more about God. But it is a fact that faith in Him gives us a hope and a support in our difficult times. This is illustrated in Lencho’s faith in God. When his crop is destroyed, he writes a letter to God to send him a hundred pesos. The postmaster turns out to help Lencho in sending him seventy pesos. Lencho stands rewarded because of his faith in God. Likewise, if we believe in God, we get a hope and a support. These help us pull out in times of difficulties. At the same time, this faith or belief enables us to face the odds of life with strength and courage. This side of life is very important. The value seen in it helps us to face the difficulties of life.

VIII. EXERCISE FOR PRACTICE

Short Answer Type Questions

1. Where did Lencho sit? What for

2. How did it rain? What was Lencho’s reaction to it

3. Describe the effect of the rain on Lencho’s crops

4. What was Lencho’s worry after the crop was destroyed

5. Why did Lencho write a letter to God?

6. How did the postmaster help Lencho? (CBSE 2012)

7. What impression do you form of the postmaster and other post office employees?

8. Describe the faith of Lencho in God. (V. Imp

IL Long Answer Type Questions

1. “God”, wrote Lencho, “if you don’t help me, my family and I will go hungry this year.” Did God help him? How?