đ A Letter to God – Important Q&A
Class 10 | SEBA Board | English Literature
A. Very Short Type Questions (1 Mark)
★ Choose the Correct Answer
| # |
Question |
Answer |
| a |
A Letter to God was written by — |
G.L. Fuentes |
| b |
The house stood on — |
the crest of a low hill |
| c |
The crop that grew was — |
corn |
| d |
Lencho's profession was — |
farming |
| e |
Lencho went out into the rain to — |
have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body |
| f |
Lencho wrote a letter to — |
God |
| g |
Lencho's manner of posting the letter showed that — |
he was truly a kind hearted and simple man |
★ True or False
| # |
Statement |
Answer |
| a |
Lencho was a farmer by profession. |
True |
| b |
Lencho had no family of his own. |
False |
| c |
Lencho predicted the rain by looking at the clouds. |
True |
| d |
All the corns of Lencho were totally destroyed. |
True |
| e |
Lencho had an unshakable faith in God. |
True |
| f |
Lencho expects 100 roubles in reply to his letter. |
False (he expected 100 pesos) |
| g |
The postmaster came to know about Lencho's belief by opening his letter. |
True |
| h |
Lencho wrote a second letter to thank God. |
False (he wrote to complain) |
★ Word Meanings
| Word |
Meaning |
| crest |
top of a hill |
| downpour |
heavy fall of rain |
| solitary |
lonely |
| amiable |
friendly |
| contentment |
satisfaction |
B. Short Type Questions (2/3 Marks)
★ Q1. Give a brief description of Lencho's house.
Ans: Lencho's house was the only one in the entire valley. It sat on the crest of a low hill, overlooking the river and the field of ripe corn dotted with flowers that always promised a good harvest.
★ Q2. Who was Lencho? What was his profession?
Ans: Lencho was a Latin American farmer who grew corn. His profession was farming. He was hardworking — described as "an ox of a man" who worked like an animal in the fields.
★ Q3. Give a brief description of Lencho's family.
Ans: Lencho had a wife and at least four boys — older boys who worked in the fields and smaller ones who played near the house. It was a happy, deeply religious family living in a solitary house on a hilltop.
★ Q4. When did the rain start? How did Lencho's family welcome it?
Ans: The rain started during the meal. The family welcomed it warmly, as they needed it for their crops. Lencho was so excited that he went outside just to feel the raindrops on his body.
★ Q5. What did Lencho hope for?
Ans: Lencho hoped for a downpour or at least a shower before his crops ripened. He wanted rainfall so that his corn would grow well and give a good harvest, bringing him money.
★ Q6. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like 'new coins'?
Ans: Lencho believed that the raindrops would ensure a good harvest, which would in turn bring him money. So he compared the raindrops to new coins — a sign of prosperity and hope.
★ Q7. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho's fields?
Ans: After a sudden strong gust of wind, very large hailstones began to fall along with the rain. Lencho's entire field was completely destroyed — not a leaf remained on the trees, the flowers were gone, and the corn was wiped out. The field looked white, as if covered with salt.
★ Q8. Describe the destruction caused by hailstones in Lencho's fields.
Ans: The hail rained on Lencho's house, garden, cornfield, hillside and the entire valley for about an hour. The field turned completely white, as if covered with salt. Not a single leaf remained on the trees, the flowers were destroyed, and all the corn was lost — leaving Lencho with nothing.
★ Q9. What were Lencho's feelings when the hail stopped?
Ans: Lencho was filled with deep sadness. He told his sons that they would have no corn that year. But despite his grief, he was hopeful — he had unshakable faith in God and believed God would help him.
★ Q10. How did Lencho console his family?
Ans: Lencho told his family that it was not a total loss, even if it seemed so. He reminded them that no one dies of hunger, and expressed hope that God would provide for them.
★ Q11. Who or what did Lencho have faith in?
Ans: Lencho had deep, unshakable faith in God. He truly believed that God's eyes see everything and that God would never abandon those who trust Him.
★ Q12. What did Lencho write in his first letter to God?
Ans: Lencho wrote — "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..." He humbly asked God to send him 100 pesos.
★ Q13. How did Lencho send the letter?
Ans: Lencho went to the post office in town one Sunday, placed a stamp on the letter addressed simply to "God", and dropped it into the mailbox.
★ Q14. Why was the postmaster amazed after seeing the letter?
Ans: The postmaster was amazed because the letter was addressed to God — something he had never seen in his entire career. He was also deeply moved by Lencho's extraordinary and unshakable faith in God.
★ Q15. What did the postmaster do to protect Lencho's faith in God?
Ans: The postmaster decided to answer the letter as God himself. He collected 70 pesos — from his employees, several friends, and part of his own salary — and sent the money to Lencho through the postman, signing the letter as 'God'.
★ Q16. Why did the postmaster send money? Why did he sign as 'God'?
Ans: The postmaster sent the money as an act of charity, so that Lencho's firm faith in God would not be shaken. He signed the letter as 'God' so that Lencho would believe the reply truly came from the Almighty.
★ Q17. Was Lencho surprised to find money in the letter?
Ans: No, Lencho was not at all surprised. He was completely sure the money came from God. Such was his absolute faith — he never doubted for a moment that God had answered his prayer.
★ Q18. Why was Lencho angry after opening the letter?
Ans: Lencho found only 70 pesos instead of the 100 he had asked for. He did not get angry at God — he was certain God had sent the full amount. Instead, he blamed the post office employees, thinking they had stolen the remaining 30 pesos.
★ Q19. What did Lencho write in his second letter to God?
Ans: In the second letter, Lencho informed God that he had received only 70 pesos. He requested God to send the remaining money through some other way besides the mail, because he believed the post office employees were dishonest thieves.
★ Q20. Do you think the post office employees were really crooks?
Ans: No, the post office employees were not crooks at all. In fact, they were generous and kind-hearted people who collected money from their own pockets to help a stranger, just to protect his faith in God. The real irony is that Lencho called them crooks despite their good deed.
★ Q21. Write about the postmaster and his noble character.
Ans: The postmaster was a fat and amiable man — honest, helpful, and deeply compassionate. When he read Lencho's letter, he laughed at first but was then moved by Lencho's innocent faith. He took it upon himself to collect 70 pesos from his employees, friends, and his own salary, and sent it to Lencho signed as 'God'. His act showed that true humanity lies in selfless kindness.
đĄ Exam Tip: The most important theme of this story is "Faith and Irony" — Lencho's unshakable faith in God is beautiful, but the irony is that he calls the very people who helped him "a bunch of crooks."
