1. Chapter Introduction
“A Letter to God” by G.L. Fuentes is a powerful story about having unquestionable faith in God. The story revolves around a hardworking poor farmer named Lencho. When his crops are completely destroyed by a hailstorm, he writes a letter to God asking for financial help. The chapter beautifully highlights the innocence of the farmer and the empathy of the post office employees.
2. Characters Detail
- Lencho: A hardworking, simple, and poor farmer. He has immense and unshakable faith in God. He is optimistic but lacks worldly knowledge.
- The Postmaster: A fat, amiable, and kind-hearted man. He is deeply moved by Lencho’s faith and decides to help him by collecting money from his employees and friends.
- The Post Office Employees: Helpful and kind people who contribute part of their salary to help Lencho, even though Lencho ironically calls them a “bunch of crooks.”
3. Full Summary
The Hope for Rain
Lencho was a dedicated farmer whose house was the only one in the entire valley, situated on the crest of a low hill. His cornfield was ready for harvest but desperately needed a good downpour of rain. Looking at the sky, Lencho confidently predicted that it would rain, and soon, large drops of rain began to fall. Lencho was overjoyed and compared the raindrops to new coins, as they would bring him a good harvest and money.
The Destruction by Hailstorm
Suddenly, a strong wind began to blow, and along with the rain, very large hailstones began to fall. For an hour, the hail rained on the house, the garden, the hillside, and the cornfield. The field was totally white, as if covered with salt. Not a single leaf remained on the trees, and the corn was totally destroyed. Lencho’s soul was filled with sadness, fearing his family would go hungry that year.
Lencho’s Letter to God
Despite the devastation, Lencho had a single hope: help from God. The following Sunday, he wrote a letter to God, explaining his situation. He asked for 100 pesos to sow his field again and to live until the next crop comes. He wrote “To God” on the envelope, placed a stamp on it, and dropped it into the mailbox.
The Postmaster’s Reaction and Help
A postman saw the letter addressed to God and laughed heartily. He showed it to the postmaster. The postmaster also laughed initially but soon became serious, deeply moved by the writer’s strong faith. To keep Lencho’s faith alive, the postmaster decided to answer the letter. He collected money from his employees, gave a part of his own salary, and asked friends for charity. However, he could only collect 70 pesos. He put the money in an envelope addressed to Lencho with a single signature: “God.”
The Second Letter
The next Sunday, Lencho came to the post office early to ask if there was a letter for him. The postman handed him the letter. Lencho showed no surprise on seeing the money, but he became angry when he counted it. He found only 70 pesos instead of 100. He immediately wrote another letter to God, dropped it in the mailbox, and left. When the postmaster opened it, it read: “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.”
4. Multiple Choice Questions (10 MCQs)
Q1. Who is the author of “A Letter to God”?
(a) G.L. Fuentes | (b) Ruskin Bond | (c) Liam O’ Flaherty | (d) Nelson Mandela
Answer: (a) G.L. Fuentes
Q2. What did Lencho hope for?
(a) A good shower of rain | (b) A new tractor | (c) A good market price | (d) Seeds for farming
Answer: (a) A good shower of rain
Q3. What did Lencho compare the large raindrops with?
(a) Silver coins | (b) Pearls | (c) New coins | (d) Diamonds
Answer: (c) New coins
Q4. What destroyed Lencho’s fields?
(a) Heavy rainfall | (b) Hailstorm | (c) Locusts | (d) Drought
Answer: (b) Hailstorm
Q5. How much money did Lencho ask for?
(a) 100 pesos | (b) 1000 pesos | (c) 10 pesos | (d) 500 pesos
Answer: (a) 100 pesos
Q6. How much money did the postmaster manage to collect?
(a) 100 pesos | (b) 50 pesos | (c) 70 pesos | (d) 80 pesos
Answer: (c) 70 pesos
Q7. What was the postmaster’s reaction upon seeing the letter?
(a) He was angry | (b) He laughed heartily | (c) He ignored it | (d) He cried
Answer: (b) He laughed heartily
Q8. Why did the postmaster decide to reply to Lencho’s letter?
(a) He was free | (b) To preserve Lencho’s faith in God | (c) He wanted to trick him | (d) He wanted to be famous
Answer: (b) To preserve Lencho’s faith in God
Q9. What did Lencho call the post office employees in his second letter?
(a) Good people | (b) A bunch of crooks | (c) Thieves | (d) Helpful friends
Answer: (b) A bunch of crooks
Q10. What did Lencho ask God to do in his second letter?
(a) Send the remaining money through mail | (b) Send the remaining money directly, not through mail | (c) Punish the postmaster | (d) Give him a new crop
Answer: (b) Send the remaining money directly, not through mail
5. Short Answer Type Questions (35 Words)
Q1. Where was Lencho’s house situated?
Ans. Lencho’s house was the only one in the entire valley. It was situated on the crest (top) of a low hill. From there, one could see the river and the field of ripe corn.
Q2. Why did Lencho look satisfied when the rain started?
Ans. Lencho looked satisfied because his fields of ripe corn desperately needed rain. The rain meant a good harvest, which would bring money and food for his family.
Q3. What happened to Lencho’s fields after the hailstorm?
Ans. The hailstorm completely destroyed Lencho’s fields. The field was white as if covered with salt. Not a single leaf remained on the trees, and the corn was completely ruined.
Q4. Who did Lencho write a letter to and why?
Ans. Lencho wrote a letter to God because his crops were destroyed by the hailstorm. He had immense faith in God and asked for 100 pesos to sow his field again and survive the year.
Q5. Why did the postmaster sign the letter as ‘God’?
Ans. The postmaster signed the letter as ‘God’ so that Lencho’s firm faith in God would not be shaken. He wanted Lencho to believe that God had actually answered his prayers and sent the money.
6. Long Answer Type Questions (60-70 Words)
Q1. Give a brief character sketch of Lencho.
Ans. Lencho was a simple, hardworking farmer who worked like an animal in his fields. He was optimistic and deeply cared for his family. His most prominent trait was his unshakable, blind faith in God. He firmly believed that God sees everything and helps those in distress. However, he was innocent and lacked worldly wisdom, which is why he called the helpful post office employees a ‘bunch of crooks’ when he received less money.
Q2. How did the postmaster help Lencho? What does it tell us about his character?
Ans. The postmaster was deeply moved by Lencho’s immense faith in God. To keep this faith alive, he decided to answer the letter. He gave a part of his own salary, collected money from his employees, and asked friends for charity. He managed to collect 70 pesos and sent it to Lencho. This shows that the postmaster was an empathetic, kind-hearted, and generous human being who valued a person’s faith.
Q3. Why was Lencho angry when he received the letter? What is the irony in the situation?
Ans. Lencho became angry because he received only 70 pesos instead of the 100 pesos he had asked from God. He was confident that God couldn’t make a mistake. The irony of the situation is that Lencho blamed the post office employees for stealing the 30 pesos and called them a “bunch of crooks,” whereas, in reality, it was these very employees who had contributed their own money to help him.
Q4. Describe the destruction caused by the hailstorm. How did Lencho react to it?
Ans. The hailstorm brought complete ruin to Lencho’s ripe cornfield. For an hour, hail rained everywhere, leaving the field white as if covered with salt. Not a single leaf remained on the trees, and the flowers were gone. Lencho’s soul was filled with deep sorrow. He stood in the middle of the field and said that a plague of locusts would have left more than the hail. He feared his family would go hungry that year.
Q5. “Humanity still exists.” Elaborate this statement with reference to the chapter “A Letter to God”.
Ans. The chapter beautifully illustrates that humanity still exists through the character of the postmaster and his employees. Despite laughing initially, the postmaster was deeply moved by Lencho’s innocent and blind faith in God. To protect this faith, he, along with his staff, contributed a part of their salaries to help a complete stranger. Their selfless act of charity and empathy proves that kindness and humanity are still alive in the world.
