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A Letter to God

NCERT Class 10 · English Based on NCERT Class 10 English textbook · Free CBSE study kit

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Chapter Notes

Overview
This chapter explores the theme of faith and human nature through the story of Lencho, a poor farmer who writes a letter to God after a hailstorm destroys his crops. The story is placed in the syllabus to provoke thought about the nature of belief, the conflict between humans and nature, and the irony of human actions. The one big idea a student must walk away with is that blind faith can be both inspiring and ironic, as Lencho's unwavering trust in God leads him to accuse the very people who helped him.
Key Concepts (12)
Faith
Complete trust or confidence in someone or something, especially in God, as shown by Lencho's belief that God would help him.
e.g. Lencho had complete faith that God would send him the hundred pesos he needed to sow his field again.
Irony
A situation that is strange or amusing because it is the opposite of what is expected.
e.g. Lencho called the post office employees 'a bunch of crooks' when they were actually the ones who helped him by collecting money and sending it to him.
Conflict
A struggle or clash between opposing forces, which can be between humans and nature or between humans themselves.
e.g. The hailstorm destroying Lencho's crops is a conflict between humans and nature; Lencho accusing the post office employees is a conflict between humans.
Conscience
An inner sense of right and wrong that guides a person's actions.
e.g. Lencho believed that God's eyes see everything, even what is deep in one's conscience.
Contentment
A state of satisfaction and happiness, often from doing a good deed.
e.g. The postmaster experienced contentment after performing the good deed of sending money to Lencho.
Amiable
Friendly and pleasant in disposition.
e.g. The postmaster was described as a fat, amiable fellow who laughed at the letter but then turned serious.
Locusts
Insects which fly in big swarms and destroy crops.
e.g. Lencho said that a plague of locusts would have left more than the hailstorm left.
Peso
The currency of several Latin American countries, used in the story as the money Lencho needed.
e.g. Lencho asked God for a hundred pesos to sow his field again.
Metaphor
A figure of speech that compares two things or ideas by transferring a quality or feature of one thing to another.
e.g. Lencho called the raindrops 'new coins', comparing the value of rain to money.
Relative Clause
A clause that gives more information about a noun, beginning with a relative pronoun like who, whom, whose, or which.
e.g. In 'Lencho — who knew his fields intimately — looked at the sky', the clause 'who knew his fields intimately' is a relative clause.
Non-defining Relative Clause
A relative clause that provides extra information about a person or thing whose identity is already known, usually set off by commas.
e.g. In 'The woman, who was preparing supper, replied', the clause is non-defining because we already know which woman is being referred to.
Negatives for Emphasis
Using negative words like no, not, or nothing to emphasize an idea rather than to show absence.
e.g. Lencho had done nothing else but see the sky towards the north-east — this emphasizes that he did only that.
How It Works
Lencho's Faith and Letter Writing
  1. Step 1: Lencho's crops are destroyed by a hailstorm, leaving him and his family without food or income.
  2. Step 2: Lencho, believing that God sees everything, decides to write a letter to God asking for a hundred pesos.
  3. Step 3: He writes the letter, addresses it 'To God', puts a stamp on it, and drops it into the mailbox at the post office.
  4. Step 4: The postman finds the letter and shows it to the postmaster, who is initially amused but then impressed by Lencho's faith.
  5. Step 5: The postmaster decides to answer the letter to not shake Lencho's faith, and collects money from his employees, himself, and friends.
  6. Step 6: He sends Lencho a little more than half of the requested amount (seventy pesos) in an envelope signed 'God'.
  7. Step 7: Lencho receives the money, counts it, and becomes angry because it is not the full amount he asked for.
  8. Step 8: Lencho writes another letter to God, asking for the rest of the money but instructing God not to send it through the mail because he thinks the post office employees are crooks.
💡 Students often forget that Lencho did not show surprise at receiving the money; he showed anger because the amount was less than he expected. The irony is that the people he calls crooks are the ones who helped him.
Sending Money via Money Order (Activity in the Chapter)
  1. Step 1: Fill out the Money Order form with the sender's and receiver's details, including the amount to be sent.
  2. Step 2: The form has three parts: the Money Order form, the part for official use, and the Acknowledgement.
  3. Step 3: The sender signs the form and submits it at the post office counter along with the money.
  4. Step 4: The post office sends the money to the receiver, who signs the Acknowledgement, which is then sent back to the sender as proof of delivery.
💡 The 'Space for Communication' on the form is used for a short message from the sender to the receiver. The sender fills out the relevant sections, and the receiver signs the Acknowledgement.
Exam Traps — Don't Make These Mistakes
⚠ Confusing Lencho's Faith with Naivety
✗ Lencho was naive and stupid to write a letter to God.
→ The story portrays Lencho's faith as deep and sincere, not as stupidity. The postmaster himself admires his faith. Calling him naive misses the theme of faith.
✓ Lencho had unquestioning faith in God, which is shown by his confidence that God would help him. He was not naive but a man of strong belief.
⚠ Misinterpreting the Irony
✗ The irony is that God did not send the money.
→ The irony is that the post office employees, whom Lencho calls crooks, are actually the ones who collected and sent the money. The situation is the opposite of what Lencho believes.
✓ The irony is that Lencho accuses the post office employees of being crooks, but they are the very people who helped him by collecting money and sending it to him in the name of God.
⚠ Forgetting the Postmaster's Motivation
✗ The postmaster sent money because he felt sorry for Lencho.
→ The postmaster's primary motivation was to not shake Lencho's faith in God. He was impressed by Lencho's faith and wanted to preserve it.
✓ The postmaster sent the money in order not to shake Lencho's faith in God. He admired the farmer's faith and wanted to answer the letter to maintain that belief.
⚠ Confusing 'Hope' as a Verb and Noun
✗ Lencho hoped for rain, and hope is a verb in both cases.
→ In the story, 'hope' is used both as a verb ('I hope it passes quickly') and as a noun ('There was a single hope: help from God'). Students must distinguish between the two usages.
✓ In 'I hope it passes quickly', 'hope' is a verb meaning to wish for something. In 'There was a single hope', 'hope' is a noun meaning a chance for something good to happen.
Compare & Contrast
Nature of belief
Lencho's Faith
Postmaster's Faith
Lencho has unquestioning, blind faith in God, while the postmaster admires faith but does not possess it himself; he says, 'I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter.'
Type of conflict
Conflict between Humans and Nature
Conflict between Humans Themselves
The conflict between humans and nature is shown by the hailstorm destroying Lencho's crops, while the conflict between humans is shown by Lencho accusing the post office employees of being crooks.
Exam Focus
Marks pattern: 2 MCQs (1 mark each), 1 Short Answer (2-3 marks), 1 Long Answer (5 marks), and often a value-based question on faith or honesty.
Most asked: Irony in the story · Lencho's character and faith · Postmaster's role and motivation · Conflict types (human vs nature, human vs human) · Metaphors and their meanings
Don't skip: Explain the irony in the story 'A Letter to God'.; Describe Lencho's character and his faith in God.; Why did the postmaster send money to Lencho? What does this reveal about his character?
One-Line Revision (read aloud before the exam)
  1. Lencho was a farmer whose crops were destroyed by a hailstorm, leading him to write a letter to God asking for a hundred pesos.
  2. Lencho had complete faith that God would help him, as he believed God sees everything, even what is deep in one's conscience.
  3. The postmaster, impressed by Lencho's faith, decided to answer the letter to not shake his belief in God.
  4. The postmaster collected money from his employees, himself, and friends, but could only gather a little more than half of the requested amount.
  5. Lencho received seventy pesos and became angry because he believed God could not make a mistake or deny him what he requested.
  6. The irony in the story is that Lencho called the post office employees 'a bunch of crooks' when they were the ones who helped him.
  7. The story illustrates two types of conflict: between humans and nature (the hailstorm) and between humans themselves (Lencho vs. the post office).
  8. A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two things by transferring a quality of one to another, e.g., raindrops are called 'new coins'.
  9. A non-defining relative clause gives extra information about a known person or thing and is set off by commas, e.g., 'Lencho, who knew his fields intimately, looked at the sky.'
  10. Negatives can be used for emphasis, as in 'Lencho had done nothing else but see the sky', meaning he did only that.
  11. The postmaster was an amiable fellow who experienced contentment after performing a good deed.
  12. Lencho was described as 'an ox of a man', working like an animal in the fields, showing his hardworking nature.
  13. The hailstones were compared to 'new silver coins' and the field after the storm was 'white, as if covered with salt'.
  14. The word 'hope' is used both as a verb (to wish) and as a noun (a chance for something good) in the story.
  15. Lencho's letter was addressed 'To God', and the postmaster signed the reply letter with a single word: 'God'.

MCQs — 10 Questions with Answers

Q1. What does Lencho mean when he says raindrops are like 'new coins'?

  • A. He wanted to exchange rainwater for real coins
  • B. He was expressing joy that rain meant a good harvest and valuable crops ✓
  • C. He literally believed raindrops would turn into money
  • D. He was making fun of his family's poverty

Answer: B — Lencho uses a metaphor to express how valuable and precious the rain is for his crops, comparing it to coins because a good harvest means money for his family.

Q2. Why does the postmaster decide to answer Lencho's letter to God?

  • A. He wanted to trick Lencho and steal his money
  • B. He was commanded by the government to do so
  • C. He was impressed by Lencho's faith and wanted to preserve it ✓
  • D. He felt guilty for being a postman

Answer: C — The postmaster is moved by Lencho's unwavering belief and decides to answer the letter to maintain his faith, calling it 'an act of charity.'

Q3. What is the main irony in Lencho's character?

  • A. He is rich but pretends to be poor
  • B. He has complete faith in God but becomes ungrateful when humans help him ✓
  • C. He can write but cannot read
  • D. He loves hailstorms but hates rain

Answer: B — Lencho trusts God completely but does not recognize or appreciate the human kindness of the postmaster; instead, he suspects God has made a mistake.

Q4. How did the hailstorm affect Lencho's field?

  • A. It made the corn grow faster
  • B. It destroyed everything—no leaves on trees, no flowers, no corn ✓
  • C. It damaged only half of the crops
  • D. It improved the soil for next year's harvest

Answer: B — The text explicitly states the field was left 'white as if covered with salt,' with not a leaf remaining and the corn totally destroyed.

Q5. Which literary device is used when Lencho compares hailstones to 'frozen pearls'?

  • A. Alliteration
  • B. Personification
  • C. Metaphor ✓
  • D. Simile

Answer: C — Lencho directly compares hailstones to frozen pearls without using 'like' or 'as,' making it a metaphor rather than a simile.

Q6. What can we infer about Lencho's level of education from the story?

  • A. He was completely illiterate
  • B. He was highly educated and wealthy
  • C. He could read and write but was not formally educated ✓
  • D. He could only read, not write

Answer: C — The text states 'Lencho was an ox of a man, working like an animal in the fields, but still he knew how to write,' showing basic literacy despite manual labor.

Q7. Why does Lencho expect exactly 100 pesos from God?

  • A. The postmaster promised him that amount
  • B. That is the amount he calculated he needed to sow his field again and survive ✓
  • C. God told him that amount in a dream
  • D. His family members decided on that amount

Answer: B — Lencho wrote to God that he needed 100 pesos specifically 'in order to sow my field again and to live until the crop comes.'

Q8. What does the postmaster's action reveal about his character?

  • A. He is cruel and wants to harm Lencho
  • B. He is kind-hearted and respects people's faith ✓
  • C. He is too busy to care about Lencho
  • D. He wants to become a priest

Answer: B — The postmaster shows compassion and respect for Lencho's belief by organizing a collection from employees and friends to answer the letter.

Q9. In the second letter, what does Lencho accuse 'God' of?

  • A. Being unfair to poor farmers
  • B. Not understanding human needs
  • C. The postman stealing some of the money sent ✓
  • D. Forgetting his first letter

Answer: C — Lencho's ingratitude and suspicion lead him to conclude that since God sent less money, it must have been stolen by the postman.

Q10. Which statement best summarizes the story's central message?

  • A. Poor farmers should never ask for help
  • B. Blind faith without questioning can lead to ingratitude and failure to recognize human kindness ✓
  • C. God always helps those who believe in Him
  • D. Hailstorms are punishment for sinful people

Answer: B — The story illustrates how Lencho's unwavering faith prevents him from appreciating the postmaster's genuine human kindness and generosity.

Flashcards

What was the main hope of Lencho's family after the hailstorm?

Their only hope was help from God, as they believed no human could assist them in their desperate situation.

Why did Lencho compare raindrops to coins?

He was happy because rain meant water for crops, and he compared large drops to valuable coins, symbolizing the crops' value.

What destroyed Lencho's cornfield?

A severe hailstorm with large hailstones destroyed the entire field, leaving not a leaf on the trees or corn on the plants.

Who decided to answer Lencho's letter to God and why?

The postmaster decided to answer it to preserve Lencho's faith in God, as he was impressed by Lencho's unwavering belief.

How much money did the postmaster send compared to what Lencho requested?

The postmaster sent only a little more than half of the hundred pesos Lencho had requested.

What was Lencho's immediate reaction when he received the money?

He showed no surprise, confident that God would help, but became angry when he counted the incomplete amount.

Why did Lencho become angry after receiving the money?

He expected the full hundred pesos from God and believed God could not make a mistake, so receiving less made him doubt.

What does Lencho write in his second letter to God?

He complains that God sent only part of the money and asks God not to send it through the mail next time (as the postman steals it).

What is the main irony of the story?

A human (the postmaster) acts with kindness and faith, yet Lencho credits God and becomes ungrateful when the amount is insufficient.

What does Lencho's character reveal about blind faith?

Blind faith can make us ungrateful for human help, suspicious of people's intentions, and unable to appreciate kindness received.

Important Board Questions

What does the statement 'No one dies of hunger' mean in the context of the story? Who says this, and what is its significance? [2 marks]

A family member says this as consolation after the hailstorm; it represents hope and faith even in despair, preparing Lencho's belief that help will come from somewhere (his faith in God).

How does the postmaster's decision to answer Lencho's letter reflect the theme of the story? What does it reveal about the postmaster's character? [3 marks]

The postmaster is moved by Lencho's faith and wants to preserve it; he represents human kindness and compassion that ironically goes unrecognized. This highlights the irony—real help comes from humans, not from God, yet Lencho attributes it to God.

Why does Lencho become angry when he receives the money? What does his reaction reveal about the dangers of blind faith, and how does the story use this to critique unquestioning belief? [5 marks]

Lencho receives 60 pesos instead of 100 and becomes angry because his blind faith in God's infallibility makes him doubt God rather than recognize human limitations. This reveals that uncritical faith can make us ungrateful, suspicious of others' kindness, and unable to appreciate real help; the story critiques how blind belief blinds us to human goodness and creates unrealistic expectations. His second letter accusing the postman of theft further demonstrates how faith without reason leads to injustice toward innocent people.

Assertion-Reason Questions for A Letter to God

Q1. Assertion (A):

Lencho became angry when he counted the money received from the post office.

Reason (R):

He had received less money than he requested, and his faith in God's infallibility made him believe God could not have made a mistake.

Answer: A — Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A — Both the assertion and reason are true. The text states 'he became angry when he counted the money' and explains that Lencho's absolute faith in God meant he could not accept that God would deny or shortchange him. The reason correctly explains why he was angry—his faith was so absolute that a shortage seemed impossible from God's perspective.

Q2. Assertion (A):

The postmaster decided to answer Lencho's letter to preserve his faith.

Reason (R):

The postmaster wanted to become wealthy by collecting money from his employees and friends.

Answer: C — A is true but R is false — The assertion is true. The text states 'in order not to shake the writer's faith in God, the postmaster came up with an idea: answer the letter.' However, the reason is false. The postmaster's motivation was humanitarian and spiritual, not financial gain. He collected money specifically 'for an act of charity,' showing his true charitable intent.

Q3. Assertion (A):

Lencho's house was located in a position where he could observe the weather and his fields.

Reason (R):

The house was situated at the foot of the valley in a low, accessible location.

Answer: C — A is true but R is false — The assertion is true. The story states the house was 'on the crest of a low hill' from which 'one could see the river and the field of ripe corn.' However, the reason is false. The house was on the 'crest' (top) of a low hill, not at the foot. This elevated position, not a low accessible location, allowed him to observe everything.

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Case-Based Questions (CBQ) for A Letter to God

Case Study:

Rajesh is a farmer in Maharashtra who suffered severe crop damage due to unexpected hailstorm last season. Like Lencho, he was devastated when his cotton field was completely destroyed. However, instead of writing to God, Rajesh wrote letters to government agencies requesting agricultural relief funds. He also contacted his bank about loan assistance for replanting. Within three weeks, he received help from both the government's disaster relief program (₹15,000) and his bank (₹10,000). Though the total amount was less than the ₹30,000 he needed, it helped him replant and survive until the new harvest. Rajesh's experience shows how modern support systems can act as alternatives to divine intervention.

Q1. How is Rajesh's response to crop failure different from Lencho's?

  • A. Rajesh wrote letters to government and banks instead of relying solely on faith ✓
  • B. Rajesh received more money than he requested
  • C. Rajesh's hailstorm was less severe than Lencho's
  • D. Rajesh gave up farming immediately

Answer: A

Q2. What does the difference between the help Rajesh received and what he requested reveal?

  • A. Government agencies are dishonest
  • B. Rajesh was ungrateful for the help
  • C. Modern systems, like divine faith, provide partial solutions that require adaptation ✓
  • D. Banks are more helpful than governments

Answer: C

Q3. Which aspect of Rajesh's approach aligns with Lencho's character?

  • A. Both lost all hope and abandoned their farms
  • B. Both took action and had faith—Lencho in God, Rajesh in institutions ✓
  • C. Both received exactly the amount they requested
  • D. Both blamed nature for their misfortune

Answer: B

Q4. What is the central similarity between Lencho's story and Rajesh's experience?

  • A. Both received help from unexpected sources that partially solved their problems ✓
  • B. Both were completely successful in recovering their losses
  • C. Both refused to accept help from others
  • D. Both gave up farming and found new professions

Answer: A

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Previous Year Questions (PYQ) for A Letter to God

Real CBSE board exam questions from past papers — free to attempt.

CBSE 2026 · Set 31/1/1 · 6 marks

Compare the two stories, 'Letter to God' and 'The Black Aeroplane' from 'Stories About Flying'. Examine how both these stories illustrate that help can come in unexpected forms.

CBSE 2026 · Set 31/1/1 · 1 mark

Justify the following statement: What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter.

CBSE 2026 · Set 31/1/1 · 1 mark

Fill in the blank with a correct word from the brackets: The postmaster turned serious on seeing the letter addressed to God because he realized that the writer had _____________ (immense/limited) faith in God.

CBSE 2026 · Set 31/1/1 · 2 marks

Examine the portrayal of the postmaster in the given extract.

CBSE 2026 · Set 31/1/1 · 1 mark

Why did the postmaster initially laugh on seeing the letter?

  • It was a blank sheet of paper.
  • He lacked faith in God.
  • He had received such letters earlier.
  • He had never known such an address.

CBSE 2026 · Set 31/2/1 · 1 mark

The postmaster — a fat, amiable fellow — also broke out laughing, but almost immediately he turned serious and, tapping the letter to 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.

Fill in the blank with a correct word from the brackets. The postmaster turned serious on seeing the letter addressed to God because he realized that the writer had _____________ (immense/limited) faith in God.

  • immense
  • limited

CBSE 2025 · Set 31/1/1 · 1 mark

What is the tone of the writer in the given lines? Rationalise your response in about 40 words. 'Saffron is being used since ages in various foods made for the royals and the elite as it contains medicinal properties.'

CBSE 2025 · Set 31/1/1 · 2 marks

What does the phrase 'luxurious qualities' in paragraph (2) tell you about the silk fabric? Write in 40 words with evidence from the text.

CBSE 2025 · Set 31/1/1 · 1 mark

Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word in the brackets, for the given portion of a letter. 'Thank you for _________ (consider) my application. I look forward to working in your organization.'

CBSE 2025 · Set 31/1/1 · 5 marks

You are Soumya Hansal / Sumit Hansal living at F-32, Shanti Nagar, Vayugarh. Seeing the inadequate healthcare infrastructure in your town, write a letter to the MLA of your area, in about 120 words, suggesting the need for improving existing healthcare facilities and creating more 'Wellness Centres' including a specialized hospital for children and women.

CBSE 2025 · Set 31/1/1 · 5 marks

In the past few years, the teaching-learning process has taken a leap and gone beyond the four walls of the classroom. Today, it has become possible to learn not just by sitting in a physical classroom, but from anywhere. Write an analytical paragraph in about 120 words, assessing the benefits and drawbacks of both E-learning and Classroom learning, by selecting features that support your analysis.

CBSE 2025 · Set 31/1/1 · 1 mark

Not a leaf remained on the trees. The corn was totally destroyed. The flowers were gone from the plants. Lencho's soul was filled with sadness. When the storm had passed, he stood in the middle of the field and said to his sons, 'A plague of locusts would have left more than this. The hail has left nothing. This year we will have no corn.' 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.'

Why were there no leaves left on the trees?

  • The locusts ate them up.
  • An earthquake had occurred.
  • There was a hailstorm.
  • The animals grazed on them.

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