EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Chapter 1

A Letter to God Class 10: Summary, Themes and Characters

Updated 14 October 2026 · Fact-checked

A Letter to God by G.L. Fuentes is the first prose chapter of First Flight. A poor farmer, Lencho, loses his crop to a hailstorm and writes to God for a hundred pesos. The board asks extract questions, 40-50 word short answers and 100-120 word long answers on Lencho's faith, the postmaster's kindness and the story's irony.

What A Letter to God is about

A Letter to God by G.L. Fuentes is the first prose lesson in your NCERT textbook First Flight. It is a short story about Lencho, a farmer who loses his whole corn crop to a hailstorm and writes a letter to God asking for a hundred pesos. The Before You Read note tells you the story's real question: what should we put our faith in?

In the board paper, this chapter appears in Section C (Language through Literature). You may get an extract in Q6 (one of two prose or drama extracts, 5 marks), with 1-mark MCQ or very short parts and a 2-mark part of 30-40 words that asks for inference. It can also come as a short answer in Q8 (40-50 words, 3 marks) or a long answer in Q10 (about 100-120 words, 6 marks), where you must show creativity, judgement and links beyond the text.

In real board papers: asked in 12 of the 21 board papers we hold (2023 to 2026), on average 4.8 marks per paper. See the questions

A Letter to God: summary

In our own words, in the order of the text. Read the NCERT text itself too: the board quotes from it.

The story opens on a lonely house, the only one in the whole valley, sitting on the top of a low hill. From there Lencho, a farmer, can see the river and his field of ripe corn, dotted with flowers that always promise a good harvest. The crop needs only rain. All morning Lencho, who knows his fields closely, keeps watching the sky to the north-east.

He tells the woman of the house, who is cooking supper, that rain is coming, and she replies, "Yes, God willing". The older boys work in the field, the younger ones play near the house. During dinner, just as Lencho predicted, big raindrops start to fall. Lencho goes out simply to enjoy the rain on his body. He calls the raindrops new coins: big drops are ten-cent pieces, little ones are fives.

Then a strong wind rises and huge hailstones begin to fall. They look like new silver coins, and the boys run out to collect these "frozen pearls". Lencho grows worried and hopes the storm passes quickly. It does not. For an hour the hail beats down on the whole valley. The field turns white as if covered with salt, the trees lose every leaf and the corn is completely destroyed. Lencho, full of sadness, tells his sons that even a plague of locusts would have left more. The family spends a sorrowful night, fearing hunger.

Yet they keep one hope: help from God. All night Lencho thinks about God, whose eyes, he has been taught, see everything, even deep inside one's conscience. Though he works like an animal in the fields, he can write. The next Sunday at daybreak he writes a letter to God asking for a hundred pesos to sow his field again and to live until the next crop. He writes 'To God' on the envelope, goes to town, sticks on a stamp and posts it.

A postman finds the letter, laughs and shows it to his boss. The postmaster, a fat and friendly man, laughs too, but soon turns serious. He admires Lencho's faith and decides to answer the letter so that this faith is not shaken. Opening it, he sees that he needs money, not just goodwill, ink and paper. He collects money from his employees, gives part of his own salary and gets friends to give something 'for an act of charity'. He manages only a little more than half the amount. He sends it with a letter signed with one word: God.

The next Sunday Lencho arrives a little early. The postman hands him the letter while the postmaster watches, happy at his good deed. Lencho is not at all surprised to see money, so complete is his faith. But when he counts it, he becomes angry: God could not have made a mistake. At the public writing-table, frowning with effort, he writes again, buys a stamp and fixes it with a blow of his fist. The postmaster opens it at once. Lencho writes that only seventy pesos reached him, asks God to send the rest, and warns Him not to use the mail because the post office employees are "a bunch of crooks". This is the story's final irony.

Themes and message

Unquestioning faith in God

Lencho's faith is total and simple. When his crop is gone, the family says "There’s no one who can help us" and Lencho's single hope is God. He writes to God as if writing to a real person who will reply. When money arrives he shows no surprise at all, because he expected it. The same faith makes him certain that God cannot make a mistake, so someone else must have stolen the missing pesos. We can infer that the writer admires this faith but also asks, as the Before You Read note says, what we should put our faith in. Faith without thought makes Lencho blind to the goodness around him.

From the text: The family's "single hope: help from God"; Lencho "showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money"; and "God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested."

Irony of the situation

Irony is when the result is the opposite of what we expect. The rain Lencho welcomes as new coins turns into hail that ruins him. The biggest irony comes at the end. The postmaster and his staff give their own money to save Lencho's faith, yet Lencho calls those very people crooks. The ones who helped him are blamed, while God, who sent nothing directly, gets the credit. This twist makes the story both funny and sad, and it shows how faith can make someone unable to see the truth.

From the text: The postmaster feels "the contentment of a man who has performed a good deed", but Lencho's last letter says "the post office employees are a bunch of crooks."

Conflict: humans against nature and humans against humans

The story shows two conflicts. The first is between Lencho and nature: the hailstorm destroys the corn he has worked so hard for, and he is helpless before it. The second is between people: Lencho, without knowing it, distrusts and insults the post office employees who helped him. The first conflict is open and violent; the second is quiet and based on a misunderstanding. This suggests that nature can destroy crops, but human suspicion can damage relationships and spoil even a good deed.

From the text: "The hail has left nothing." Later, Lencho asks God not to send money "through the mail" because of the employees.

Kindness and goodness of strangers

The postmaster has no duty to help Lencho, yet he is moved by the farmer's faith. He does not want that faith to be shaken, so he turns a funny letter into an act of charity. He gives part of his own salary and collects from his staff and friends. He signs the letter 'God' and takes no credit. This shows that goodness often works quietly through ordinary people. We can infer that, in a sense, God did answer Lencho, through human kindness.

From the text: The postmaster "himself gave part of his salary" and signed the letter with "a single word as a signature: God."

Hope in hard times

Though the family loses everything in one hour, they do not give up. Someone in the family reminds the others that "no one dies of hunger", and Lencho spends the night thinking of his one hope. His letter is a practical plan: money to sow the field again and to live until the next crop. The story shows that hope gives people the strength to act after a disaster, even when the situation seems a total loss.

From the text: "Don't be so upset, even though this seems like a total loss." Lencho asks for money "to sow my field again and to live until the crop comes".

Characters

Lencho

The protagonist, a poor farmer whose corn crop is destroyed by a hailstorm and who writes to God for help.

Hardworking and close to the land
Deeply and unquestioningly faithful
Hopeful and practical in a crisis
Naive and suspicious, ungrateful without meaning to be

He knew his fields "intimately" and was "an ox of a man, working like an animal in the fields". He writes to God and shows "not the slightest surprise" on getting money. He asks for money to sow again, showing a plan. Yet he calls the helpers "a bunch of crooks", showing he cannot see beyond his belief.

The postmaster

The head of the town post office who answers Lencho's letter with money collected from himself, his staff and friends.

Amiable (friendly and pleasant)
Kind and generous
Admires faith and respects others' beliefs
Humble, takes no credit
Determined in his good resolution

He is described as "a fat, amiable fellow". He laughs at first but turns serious and says, "I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter." He gives "part of his salary", signs the letter "God", and "stuck to his resolution" though the amount was large.

The woman (Lencho's wife, we infer)

The woman of the house who cooks for the family and shares Lencho's hope.

Devoted to the family
Religious and trusting in God's will
Calm

She is preparing supper and calls the children for dinner. When Lencho says rain is coming, she replies, "Yes, God willing", showing her belief that all depends on God.

The postman

A post office employee who first finds the letter addressed to God and later hands Lencho the reply.

Cheerful, amused by the strange address
Willing to help in the good deed

He went to his boss "laughing heartily" because he had never known that address. Later "the postman himself" handed Lencho the letter.

How it is written

Device	Example	Effect
Situational irony	The post office staff collect money for Lencho, but Lencho believes they stole part of it and calls them "a bunch of crooks".	The ending is the opposite of what we expect. It makes the story memorable, adds humour and sadness, and makes you think about blind faith and ingratitude.
Metaphor and simile	Raindrops are "new coins"; hailstones are "frozen pearls"; clouds are "huge mountains"; Lencho is "an ox of a man"; the field is white "as if covered with salt".	The images show how Lencho sees rain as money for his family, how huge and heavy the clouds are, and how hard he works. The change from coins to destroying hail sharpens the shock of the loss.
Contrast	The calm, hopeful opening with the "field of ripe corn" contrasts with the white, ruined field after the storm; the postmaster's contentment contrasts with Lencho's anger.	Contrast shows how suddenly fortune changes and how differently the two men see the same event.
Negatives used for emphasis	"Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money"; "Not a leaf remained on the trees."	The negative words stress an idea strongly: Lencho's total confidence, and the total destruction of the crop.
Third-person narration with short dialogue	The family's broken lines at night: "All our work, for nothing." and "We'll all go hungry this year."	The narrator tells the story simply, while short spoken lines let you feel the family's fear and despair directly.

Key quotations

Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.

These aren’t raindrops falling from the sky, they are new coins.
Lencho: Lencho returns after feeling the first rain on his body.
A metaphor showing that for a farmer, rain means money and food. It also prepares the irony: the 'coins' soon turn into destructive hail.
The hail has left nothing.
Lencho: Standing in the middle of his ruined field, he speaks to his sons after the storm.
Shows the total loss and the conflict between humans and nature. It explains why he must turn to God.
Lencho was an ox of a man, working like an animal in the fields
Narrator: Describing Lencho as he plans his letter to God.
A metaphor for his strength and hard labour. The sentence goes on to note that he could still write, which makes the letter possible.
What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter.
The postmaster: After first laughing at the letter addressed to God, he turns serious.
Shows the postmaster's respect for faith and his own kindness. It explains why he decides to answer the letter.
Starting up a correspondence with God!
The postmaster: His comment right after admiring Lencho's faith.
Shows wonder mixed with gentle amusement at Lencho's innocence, and leads to his idea of answering the letter.
Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money
Narrator: When Lencho opens the reply at the post office.
Proves how complete his faith is: he expected God to answer. It is also an example of negatives used for emphasis.
God could not have made a mistake
Narrator: Explaining Lencho's anger when he counts the money.
Reveals his reasoning: since God is perfect, someone else must be to blame. This leads straight to the ironic ending.
the post office employees are a bunch of crooks.
Lencho (in his second letter): He asks God to send the rest of the money but not through the mail.
The climax of the irony: the helpers are called thieves. It shows the conflict between humans and Lencho's blindness to human goodness.

A Letter to God in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Unquestioning faith in God

Suppose your classmate Riya prays every morning before the board exams but stops revising, saying God will make sure she passes. Her friends are worried but she is calm and sure.

Compare Riya's faith with Lencho's. Is her attitude wise? Answer in 40-50 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Faith gives comfort to both Riya and Lencho.
Lencho worked like an animal in his fields; he asked God for help only after the hail destroyed his crop.
Faith should support effort, not replace it.
Blind faith can lead to wrong conclusions, as it did for Lencho.

Answer: Riya's faith, like Lencho's, can give her comfort and calm. But Lencho first worked like an animal in his fields; he asked God for help only after the hail destroyed his crop. Riya should pray and keep revising. Faith should strengthen effort, not replace it, or it becomes blind.

Memory hook: Pray like Lencho, but work like the ox first.

Kindness and goodness of strangers

Imagine an elderly man at a bus stand in your town has lost his wallet and cannot pay the fare home. The conductor and a few passengers quietly put together the money, and nobody tells him their names.

How is their act like the postmaster's in 'A Letter to God'? What values does it show? Answer in 40-50 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Both help someone they do not know.
Both give from their own money.
Both seek no credit (the postmaster signed only 'God').
Values: compassion, generosity, humility.

Answer: Like the postmaster, these strangers help someone they do not know and give from their own money. They, too, seek no credit, just as the postmaster signed only 'God'. Their act shows compassion, generosity and humility, the quiet goodness the story celebrates.

Memory hook: Nameless help at the bus stand = a letter signed 'God'.

Irony of the situation

Suppose your class secretly collects money to repair a classmate's broken bicycle and leaves it in his desk with an unsigned note. The amount falls a little short, and he complains that the class monitor must have kept some of it.

Explain the irony in this situation and compare it with the ending of 'A Letter to God'. Answer in 40-50 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Irony: the opposite of what is expected.
Helpers are suspected of cheating instead of being thanked.
Lencho called the post office staff crooks though they gave the money.
In both cases the receiver does not know who gave.

Answer: The irony is that the helpers are suspected of cheating. Lencho, too, received money from the post office staff and called them crooks. In both cases the receiver does not know who gave, so the generous givers are blamed instead of thanked.

Memory hook: Short by a little, blamed a lot: the givers become the 'crooks'.

Hope in hard times

Imagine a sudden hailstorm flattens the wheat in your uncle's fields just before harvest. That night the family sits silently, until your grandmother says they have faced bad years before and will manage again.

Compare this family's response with that of Lencho's family after the hailstorm. What keeps hope alive in both? Answer in 40-50 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Both families first feel despair at losing a year's work.
Lencho's family fear hunger but keep a single hope: help from God.
Comforting words: 'no one dies of hunger' and the grandmother's words.
Shared hope keeps a family going.

Answer: Both families first feel despair at losing a whole year's work. Lencho's family fear going hungry but hold on to a single hope: help from God. Your grandmother's words, like the saying that no one dies of hunger, give comfort. Shared hope keeps families going.

Memory hook: After the hail, the family holds on to one hope.

Topics in this chapter

Lencho Character Sketch
A Letter to God Theme and MessageComing soon
The Postmaster in A Letter to GodComing soon
Conflicts in A Letter to GodComing soon
A Letter to God Question AnswersComing soon

How the board asks A Letter to God

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Question type	How it is asked	Method
Extract-based (reference to context), Q6	A short passage from the story, for example the hailstorm, the postmaster reading the letter or Lencho counting the money. Parts include an MCQ, a fill-in-the-blank, 'justify the statement', 'why did he laugh?', and a 2-mark 'examine the portrayal of...' or inference question.	Read the questions first, then the extract. For 1-mark parts, answer in one word or one sentence from the extract. For the 2-mark part, write 30-40 words: make a clear point (for example, the postmaster is kind and respectful of faith), then support it with what he does in the extract. Do not copy whole lines.
Irony and faith, short answer, Q8	40-50 words, 3 marks, for example: bring out the faith and irony in Lencho's last letter, or why Lencho was angry on counting the money.	Make two or three value points: what Lencho believes, what actually happened, and why the result is the opposite of what is expected. Name the device ('situational irony'). Keep within 50 words, as Content carries 2 marks and Expression 1.
Character sketch	Describe Lencho or the postmaster, or 'What kind of person is Lencho?' Sometimes in a short answer, sometimes as part of a long answer.	Give three or four traits, each with one piece of evidence from the story (an action or a short quotation). For Lencho, balance good traits (hardworking, hopeful, faithful) with weaknesses (naive, suspicious, ungrateful).
Conflict and theme	How are the two conflicts (humans versus nature, humans versus humans) shown? What message does the story give about faith or kindness?	Explain each conflict with one event: the hailstorm for the first, Lencho's suspicion of the post office staff for the second. End with what the story suggests, marked as interpretation.
Long answer with extrapolation, Q10	About 100-120 words, 6 marks. It may ask you to evaluate Lencho's faith, to write the postmaster's diary entry or reply, to judge whether the postmaster was right to sign as God, or to compare Lencho's response to loss with that of a character from another First Flight lesson.	Plan an introduction, two or three developed points with evidence, and a conclusion with your judgement. Marks are Content 3, Expression 2, Accuracy 1, so write in clear, correct sentences. If a comparison is asked, give equal space to each text and use only what each text says.
Value-based or HOTS reasoning	Questions on kindness, gratitude, blind faith or helping strangers, often with a 'Suppose...' situation.	Take a clear position, link it to a specific moment in the story, and apply it to the new situation. Show balanced reasoning rather than just stating a moral.

Tricks to remember A Letter to God

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

The image chain: Coins, Pearls, Salt, Seventy
Follow four pictures in order: raindrops as new coins, hailstones as frozen pearls, the field white as salt, and seventy pesos in Lencho's second letter.
Use it when: Rebuilds the whole plot in sequence, from hope to loss to the ironic ending.
Two Sundays
Sunday one: Lencho writes to God. The following Sunday: he collects the reply, counts the money and writes again.
Use it when: Keeps the order of the two letters clear in extract and long answers.
N then H
The conflict goes Nature first (hailstorm vs Lencho), then Humans (Lencho vs post office employees).
Use it when: Quick structure for any conflict question.
The irony triangle
Giver gets blamed (postmaster and staff), Receiver gives no thanks (Lencho), God gets the credit.
Use it when: Three corners = three value points for an irony answer.
One tag per character
Lencho = Faith; Postmaster = Kindness; Woman = 'God willing'; Postman = the laugh, first to see the letter.
Use it when: Stops you mixing up the postman and the postmaster.

A Letter to God: extract-based questions

Read the extract, answer every part on paper, then open the answers.

Extract 1: The hailstorm begins

These truly did resemble new silver coins. The boys, exposing themselves to the rain, ran out to collect the frozen pearls. ‘‘It’s really getting bad now,’’ exclaimed the man. “I hope it passes quickly.” It did not pass quickly.

(1) · 1 mark · MCQ
Choose the word closest in meaning to 'resemble' as used in the extract.
(a) destroy
(b) look like
(c) melt into
(d) shine brighter than
(2) · 1 mark · Very short answer
What does the phrase 'the frozen pearls' refer to?
(3) · 1 mark · MCQ
What does the short sentence 'It did not pass quickly.' achieve, coming straight after Lencho's words?
(a) It shows that Lencho's wish came true at once.
(b) It answers Lencho's hope with a blunt fact and signals the coming disaster.
(c) It shows that the boys were enjoying the storm.
(d) It tells us that the storm ended within minutes.
(4) · 2 marks · Short answer
Contrast the boys' reaction to the hail with Lencho's. What does this contrast reveal? (30-40 words)

Show the answersAnswers

(b) look like
The hailstones.
(b) It answers Lencho's hope with a blunt fact and signals the coming disaster.
The boys run out excitedly to collect the hailstones, seeing only fun. Lencho, who knows his fields, at once senses danger and hopes it passes quickly. This contrast shows a child's innocence against a farmer's anxious experience.

Extract 2: Lencho receives the money

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.

(1) · 1 mark · Very short answer
What made Lencho angry when he counted the money?
(2) · 1 mark · MCQ
Why did Lencho show no surprise on seeing the money?
(a) The postman had already told him about it.
(b) He was fully confident that God would answer him.
(c) He had expected nothing at all.
(d) He had watched the postmaster collecting it.
(3) · 1 mark · Very short answer
Complete the sentence with a word from the extract: Lencho was sure God could not have denied him what he had ______.
(4) · 2 marks · Short answer
What does the line 'God could not have made a mistake' reveal about Lencho's faith, and what irony does it lead to? (30-40 words)

Show the answersAnswers

The money was less than the hundred pesos he had asked God for.
(b) He was fully confident that God would answer him.
requested
It shows Lencho's faith is total and unquestioning; he cannot imagine God failing him. So he blames the humans nearby instead. Ironically, the very post office employees who gave the money are the ones he suspects.

Extract 3: The postmaster's resolution

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’.

(1) · 1 mark · MCQ
The postmaster's 'resolution' in the extract was to:
(a) report the strange letter to his superiors
(b) answer Lencho's letter
(c) return the letter to Lencho unopened
(d) find out who had written the letter
(2) · 1 mark · Very short answer
Before this, the postmaster saw that to answer the letter he needed 'something more than goodwill, ink and paper'. What was it, and why?
(3) · 1 mark · MCQ
The words 'were obliged to give something' suggest that the postmaster's friends:
(a) gave gladly before they were asked
(b) felt they could not refuse his request
(c) expected to be paid back later
(d) were ordered to pay by the government
(4) · 2 marks · Short answer
What do the postmaster's actions in this extract reveal about him? Support your answer with two details. (30-40 words)

Show the answersAnswers

(b) answer Lencho's letter
Money, because Lencho had asked God for a hundred pesos.
(b) felt they could not refuse his request
They reveal a generous, determined man. He does not stop at goodwill: he gives part of his own salary and collects from his employees and friends, sticking to his resolution so that a stranger's faith is not shaken.

A Letter to God: board-level solved questions

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Example 1: Why the postmaster answered · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

Why did the postmaster decide to answer Lencho's letter, and how did he arrange the money? Answer in 40-50 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

He first laughed but quickly turned serious and admired the writer's faith.
He did not want to shake Lencho's faith in God.
Answering needed more than goodwill, ink and paper, because Lencho asked for money.
He collected from his employees and friends ('for an act of charity') and gave part of his own salary.
He could send only a little more than half of the hundred pesos.

Answer: The postmaster first laughed, but then admired Lencho's faith and did not want to shake it. Since the letter asked for money, goodwill was not enough. He collected money from his employees and friends and gave part of his own salary, but could send only a little more than half.

Example 2: Irony of 'a bunch of crooks' · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

Why is it ironic that Lencho calls the post office employees "a bunch of crooks"? Answer in 40-50 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Irony means the opposite of what is expected happens.
The employees and the postmaster had given their own money to help Lencho.
Lencho believes God cannot make a mistake, so he blames the employees for the missing money.
The real helpers are called thieves and get no thanks.

Answer: The employees, led by the kind postmaster, had given their own money so that Lencho's faith would survive. Yet Lencho, sure that God could not err, accuses these very helpers of stealing. The opposite of what we expect happens: the givers are branded thieves, and receive no thanks.

Example 3: From nature to people: the two conflicts · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

The story moves from a struggle with nature to a misunderstanding between people. Explain how. Answer in 40-50 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Human against nature: the hoped-for rain turns into a hailstorm lasting an hour.
The hail leaves nothing; the corn is totally destroyed.
Human against human: Lencho gets less money than he asked for.
He suspects the post office employees, who had actually helped him.

Answer: First, Lencho fights nature: the rain he hoped for turns into an hour-long hailstorm that leaves nothing of his corn. Later the conflict is between humans. Lencho, receiving less money than he asked for, suspects the post office employees, though they had secretly helped him.

Example 4: Character sketch of Lencho · 6 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Write a character sketch of Lencho, showing how his greatest strength is also his weakness. Answer in 100-120 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Hardworking farmer who knows his fields intimately; 'an ox of a man'.
Can write, unusual for a labourer.
Hopeful: watches the north-east sky, calls raindrops new coins.
Grieves after the hail but does not give up; turns to God.
Unquestioning faith: no surprise at the money; believes God cannot make a mistake.
Weakness: naive and ungrateful; calls his real helpers crooks.
Conclusion: blind faith can make a good man unfair to others (interpretation).

Answer: Lencho is a hardworking farmer who knows his fields intimately. The story calls him "an ox of a man", toiling like an animal, yet he can write. He is hopeful: he watches the north-east sky all morning and delights in rain, calling the drops new coins. When the hail destroys his corn, he grieves but does not give up. His faith in God is complete and unquestioning. He writes to God, shows not the slightest surprise when money arrives, and believes God cannot make mistakes. However, this same faith makes him naive and ungrateful. He accuses the post office employees, his real helpers, of being crooks. We can infer that blind faith can make a good man unfair to others.

Example 5: Was signing 'God' right? · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

Was the postmaster right to sign his letter with the single word 'God'? Give your view with reasons. Answer in 40-50 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Clear stand (yes or no).
His aim was not to shake Lencho's faith; his own name would have broken it.
He wanted no credit; he felt the contentment of a good deed.
Weigh the result: it caused a misunderstanding, but his intention was kind.

Answer: Yes, I think he was right. Signing his own name would have broken Lencho's belief that God had answered. He sought no credit, only the contentment of a good deed. Though it caused a misunderstanding, his intention was pure kindness, which matters more.

Example 6: The postmaster's diary · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

Imagine you are the postmaster. Write a diary entry on the day you read Lencho's second letter, recording your feelings and thoughts. Answer in 100-120 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Diary format: day/date line, first person, personal tone.
Content of the letter: no thanks, asks God for the rest, calls staff 'a bunch of crooks'.
Feelings: hurt for the employees who gave their own money.
Understanding: Lencho's faith makes him believe God cannot make a mistake.
Reflection: he once wished for such faith, now sees its other side.
Resolution: no regret; will not reveal the truth; goodness may go unthanked.

Answer: Sunday, night

Today Lencho's second letter left me smiling and hurting at once. He thanked no one. Instead he asked God for the remaining money and called my staff "a bunch of crooks". I felt a sting, because those very employees gave from their own pockets. Yet I cannot be angry with him. His faith is so complete that he believes God cannot make a mistake, so someone else must be to blame. I wished for such faith, and now I see its other side. Still, I do not regret helping him. A family will eat and sow again. Perhaps goodness must sometimes go unthanked. I will not tell him the truth; his faith matters more than our reputation.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is marked: the value points the examiner looks for and the marks each earns.

Why did Lencho call the post office employees 'a bunch of crooks'? What is ironic about it? (40-50 words) (3 marks)

Step	Marks
Content: Lencho believed God could not make a mistake, so he thought the employees stole the missing money.	1
Content: Irony: the employees and postmaster had given their own money to help him; the helpers are called thieves.	1
Expression: clear, connected sentences within 40-50 words (up to 1 mark may be deducted for spelling or grammar errors).	1

Write a character sketch of Lencho, showing how his faith is both his strength and his weakness. (100-120 words) (6 marks)

Step	Marks
Content: hardworking farmer, 'an ox of a man', can write; hopeful as he watches for rain.	1
Content: unquestioning faith: writes to God, no surprise at the money, believes God cannot err.	1
Content: weakness: naive and ungrateful, accuses his real helpers; a concluding judgement.	1
Expression: organised paragraph, traits linked to evidence, fluent flow.	2
Accuracy: correct spelling, grammar and facts, within the word limit.	1

Where students lose marks in A Letter to God

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Confusing the postman with the postmaster
Both work at the post office, so students blur their roles.
Wrong working
The postman collected money from everyone and signed the letter 'God'.
Right working
The postman showed the letter to his boss; the postmaster collected the money and signed it 'God'.
Do this: Postman = laughs and shows the letter; postmaster = plans, collects, signs.
Usually costs: About 1 mark for a wrong fact in a 3-mark answer.
Mistake: Saying someone stole the missing money
Students accept Lencho's accusation as fact.
Wrong working
The post office employees kept thirty pesos for themselves.
Right working
The postmaster could not gather a hundred pesos, so he sent only a little more than half; Lencho wrongly blamed the staff.
Do this: Remember: nobody stole; the collection fell short.
Usually costs: 1-2 marks, because it destroys the irony point.
Mistake: Retelling the story instead of explaining the irony
Narrating events feels safe, but the question asks for analysis.
Wrong working
Lencho got the money, then went to the window, asked for ink, wrote a letter and posted it.
Right working
It is ironic that the very employees who gave him money are the ones Lencho calls crooks.
Do this: Use the word 'ironic' and state what was expected and what happened.
Usually costs: Up to 2 content marks in a 3-mark answer.
Mistake: Misquoting the text
Quoting from memory changes the words.
Wrong working
Lencho called them 'a bunch of thieves'.
Right working
Lencho wrote that "the post office employees are a bunch of crooks."
Do this: If unsure of exact words, paraphrase without quotation marks.
Usually costs: Loses the accuracy credit and weakens content.
Mistake: Character sketch with adjectives but no evidence
Students list traits without proving them.
Wrong working
Lencho is hardworking, faithful, naive and ungrateful.
Right working
Lencho's faith is unquestioning: he shows not the slightest surprise on seeing the money.
Do this: Pair every trait with one action or line from the story.
Usually costs: 1-2 of the 3 content marks in a 6-mark answer.
Mistake: Going far over the word limit
Students pad answers with plot summary.
Wrong working
An 80-word reply to a 3-mark question that retells the hailstorm.
Right working
A 40-50 word answer with two or three clear value points.
Do this: Plan points first; cut any sentence that only narrates.
Usually costs: Expression mark can be affected.

A Letter to God: previous year questions

Asked in 12 of the 21 board papers we hold (2023 to 2026), on average 4.8 marks per paper; 12 questions in all, counting OR alternatives. In 0 of 4 sample papers.

Counted from the real papers on our previous year papers page, not estimated. Average marks are over every board paper we hold, with an OR pair counted once. Chapter tags are ours.

Solved board questions from A Letter to God

Real questions from recent papers. Try each one first, then open our step-by-step solution with marks per step.

2026, set 2/1/1, Q8 · 12 marks · Long answer

Answer ANY FOUR of the following five questions, in about 40-50 words each: 4×3 = 12

I.
Lencho's last letter to God depicts astute faith on one level and irony on the other. Bring about the element of faith and irony in the situation. (A Letter to God)
3 marks
II.
"Mijbil the Otter" sensitises human beings especially city people to wildlife. What emotions are conveyed through the association of Mijbil and Maxwell?
3 marks
III.
What is the contribution of the extended metaphor in the poem "Fog"?
3 marks
IV.
How does "Madam Rides the Bus" bring alive Valli's attributes and experiences through its narrative style?
3 marks
V.
Explain why time is probably one of the most valuable possessions that one intensely regrets losing. (The Ball Poem)
3 marks

Try it first, then show our solutionSolution

I. Lencho's faith is astute, as he trusts God to help after the hailstorm and writes asking for 100 pesos. He never doubts the money will come. The irony is that he calls the post office employees, who helped him, 'a bunch of crooks'.
3 marks
II. Mijbil and Maxwell's bond conveys the warmth of friendship and the thrill of exploring wildlife. It evokes joy and a close connection with nature.
3 marks
III. The poet compares fog to a cat, making it mysterious and alive. 'Comes on little cat feet... sits looking over the city' humanises it. It also suggests nature's quiet, pervasive presence.
3 marks
IV. The anecdotal narrative follows Valli's bus journey and her talks with passengers. Vivid description shows her joy and awe. The irony and contrast of the dead cow incident show her growth from an innocent girl to a mature person.
3 marks
V. Time stands for childhood and memories, symbolised by the ball. Lost time cannot be recovered. The boy must take responsibility and accept loss as part of growing up.
3 marks

Answer: Any four of the five answers above (each 3 marks).

Where the marks are

Two relevant points with textual evidence (2 marks each answer)
Clear expression (1 mark each answer)

See it in the full 2026 board paper, set 2/1/1

2026, set 2/2/1, Q10(a) · 6 marks · Long answer

How do Lencho in 'A Letter to God' and Kisa Gotami in 'The Sermon at Benares' respond to their experiences of suffering and loss? How did they overcome their respective losses?

Try it first, then show our solutionSolution

Lencho, a poor farmer, depends entirely on his crop. A hailstorm destroys his corn field and leaves his family facing starvation. He responds with unshakable faith in God and writes to Him asking for 100 pesos.
1 mark
When he receives less money than he asked for, he still believes God sent it and suspects the post office employees of taking the rest. This shows his blind faith.
1 mark
Kisa Gotami loses her only son and refuses to accept his death. She carries the child to the Buddha, hoping for a cure.
1 mark
Both suffer great loss. Lencho's loss is material while Kisa Gotami's is emotional. Each overcomes it in a different way.
1 mark
Lencho overcomes his loss through strong faith and hope in God. Kisa Gotami overcomes hers through wisdom and acceptance, after learning from the Buddha that death comes to all and letting go of her attachment.
1 mark
The answer is clearly organised, uses linking words and is accurate in spelling and grammar, within 100-120 words.
1 mark

Answer: Lencho copes with his material loss through unshakable faith in God; Kisa Gotami copes with her emotional loss by gaining wisdom and accepting that death is universal.

Where the marks are

Three content points with textual evidence, including one from each lesson (3 marks)
Expression and a balanced comparison (2 marks)
Accuracy (1 mark)

See it in the full 2026 board paper, set 2/2/1

2026, set 2/3/1, Q6(a) · 5 marks · Reading comprehensionCompetency-based

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.
(A Letter to God)

(i)
Justify the following statement: What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter.
1 mark
(ii)
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.
1 mark
(iii)
Examine the portrayal of the postmaster in the given extract.
2 marks
(iv)
Why did the postmaster initially laugh on seeing the letter?
1. (A)It was a blank sheet of paper.
2. (B)He lacked faith in God.
3. (C)He had received such letters earlier.
4. (D)He had never known such an address.
1 mark

Try it first, then show our solutionSolution

(i) The postmaster was astonished that Lencho trusted God so completely that he wrote to Him, and he admired this unwavering faith.
1 mark
(ii) immense
1 mark
(iii) The postmaster is jovial and amiable, as he laughs heartily at first. He is also thoughtful and kind, because he becomes serious and decides to answer the letter so that Lencho's faith is not shaken.
2 marks
(iv) (D) He had never known such an address.
1 mark

Answer: (i) he admires Lencho's unshaken faith; (ii) immense; (iii) jovial, amiable, then serious, kind and generous; (iv) D

Where the marks are

(i) Admiration for Lencho's faith (1 mark)
(ii) immense (1 mark)
(iii) Two traits with support (2 marks)
(iv) D (1 mark)

See it in the full 2026 board paper, set 2/3/1

Every A Letter to God question, by year

2026

Set 2/1/1: Q8 (12 marks, solved)

Set 2/2/1: Q10(a) (6 marks, solved)

Set 2/3/1: Q6(a) (5 marks, solved)

Set 2/5/1: Q10(A) (6 marks, solved)

2025

Set 2/1/1: Q6(a) (5 marks, solved)

Set 2/2/1: Q10(a) (6 marks, solved)

Set 2/3/1: Q10(a) (6 marks, solved)

Set 2/5/1: Q8 (12 marks, solved)

2024

Set 2/2/1: Q8 (12 marks, solved)

Set 2/3/1: Q8 (12 marks, solved)

Set 2/4/1: Q10(a) (6 marks, solved)

2023

Set 2/4/1: Q8 (12 marks, solved)

Practice questions on A Letter to God

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
When Lencho came back from feeling the rain on his body, he said the big drops were:
(a) five cent pieces
(b) ten cent pieces
(c) silver pearls
(d) hundred-peso notes
Hint
He gave the big drops and the little drops different values.
Answer
(b) ten cent pieces
Q2 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level
Describe the damage the hailstorm did to Lencho's valley. Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Think of the salt image and Lencho's comparison with locusts.
Answer
Value points: hail for an hour on house, garden, hillside, cornfield, whole valley; field white as if covered with salt; not a leaf left; corn totally destroyed; locusts would have left more.
Model answer: For an hour hail fell on the house, garden, hillside and cornfield. The field turned white, "as if covered with salt". Not a leaf remained on the trees and the corn was totally destroyed. Lencho felt even a plague of locusts would have left more.
Q3 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level
Assertion (A): Lencho's second letter to God is ironic.
Reason (R): The postmaster and his staff had given their own money to help Lencho.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false but R is true.
Hint
Ask who Lencho accuses in the second letter, and what those same people had done for him.
Answer
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. The letter calls the post office employees 'a bunch of crooks', yet they are the very people who gave him the money; that reversal is the irony.
Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Just before Lencho turns to God, someone in the family says, 'Remember, no one dies of hunger,' and the reply is, 'That's what they say.' Why might the writer place this exchange here, and what does it show about the family? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Is the saying a fact or a comfort? Listen to the doubt in the reply, then look at what comes next.
Answer
Value points: the family has just lost everything; the saying is a comfort people repeat, not a fact; 'That's what they say' carries doubt; hope struggles with despair; the exchange leads to their single remaining hope, help from God.
Model answer: The exchange comes just after the family has lost everything. 'No one dies of hunger' is a saying people repeat for comfort, and the reply 'That's what they say' carries doubt. It shows hope struggling with despair, and it leads to their one remaining hope: help from God.
Q5 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
"Lencho was an ox of a man, working like an animal in the fields, but still he knew how to write." What does this contrast tell us, and why does it matter to the story? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Explain the metaphor first, then the word 'still'.
Answer
Value points: metaphor shows strength and hard physical labour; 'still' signals surprise that a labourer can write; writing makes the letter to God possible and drives the plot.
Model answer: The metaphor shows Lencho's great strength and endless physical toil, like an ox. The word "still" adds surprise: such a labourer can write. This matters because writing lets him send his letter to God, which sets the whole story in motion.
Q6 · 6 marks · Long answerHarder board level
"The postmaster is the real hero of 'A Letter to God'." Do you agree? Discuss with evidence from the story. Answer in 100-120 words.
Hint
Trace him from laughter to admiration to action to quiet contentment.
Answer
Value points: 'a fat, amiable fellow'; laughs, then turns serious and wishes for such faith; does not want to shake it; gives part of salary, collects from staff and friends; signs only 'God', seeks no credit; contentment of a good deed; his kindness is what actually helps.
Model answer: The postmaster, described as "a fat, amiable fellow", first laughs at the letter addressed to God. But he quickly turns serious and admires the writer's faith, even wishing he had it himself. This shows his sensitivity. Not wanting to shake Lencho's faith, he decides to answer the letter. He does more than feel sorry: he gives part of his salary and collects from employees and friends. He signs only as God, seeking no credit, and quietly enjoys the contentment of a good deed. Even when he and his staff are accused of keeping the missing pesos, he remains the story's silent giver. Lencho is still the protagonist, since his faith drives the plot, but the postmaster's selfless kindness is what actually helps the family. He is the hero of quiet kindness.
Q7 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Was Lencho greedy, or simply naive? Justify your view. Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Check exactly what he asked for and why.
Answer
Value points: asked only a hundred pesos, to sow again and live till the crop; trusted God completely; so blamed humans for the shortfall; mistake from simple faith, not greed.
Model answer: Lencho was naive, not greedy. He asked only for a hundred pesos, enough to sow again and survive till harvest. He trusted God completely, so a shortfall had to be human theft. His mistake came from simple, unquestioning faith, not a wish for more money.
Q8 · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
The chapter opens with the idea that faith can move mountains, and asks what we should put our faith in. What answer does the story suggest? Answer in 100-120 words.
Hint
Think about who actually answered Lencho's letter.
Answer
Value points: faith keeps the family hopeful and makes Lencho write; it 'moves' a stranger to help; but blind faith makes him distrust real helpers; inference: trust human goodness too; faith should open our eyes, not close them.
Model answer: Lencho's faith in God is powerful. It keeps his family hopeful after the hail leaves nothing, and it pushes him to write a letter that no one else would write. In a way, his faith does move mountains: it moves a stranger to collect money for him. Yet the story gently questions blind faith. Lencho trusts an unseen God completely but distrusts the real people who helped him, calling them crooks. We can infer that the story wants us to place faith in human goodness too. In effect, God's answer came through the postmaster's kindness. So faith is valuable, but it should open our eyes to the good around us, not close them to it.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.Where was Lencho's house?Show answer
It was the only house in the entire valley, on the crest of a low hill.
2.In which direction did Lencho watch the sky all morning?Show answer
Towards the north-east.
3.What did Lencho say the big and little raindrops were?Show answer
New coins: the big drops were ten cent pieces and the little ones fives.
4.How long did the hail fall, and what did the field look like?Show answer
For an hour; the field was white, as if covered with salt.
5.How much money did Lencho ask God for, and why?Show answer
A hundred pesos, to sow his field again and live until the crop came.
6.Who first showed the letter to the postmaster?Show answer
A postman who also helped at the post office, laughing heartily.
7.Which line shows the postmaster's admiration?Show answer
"What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter."
8.How much did Lencho say reached him, and whom did he blame?Show answer
Seventy pesos; he blamed the post office employees, calling them a bunch of crooks.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

Can you say what Lencho hoped for and how he described the rain?
Can you list three details of the hailstorm's damage?
Can you explain the 'single hope' of the family after the storm?
Can you tell the postman's role apart from the postmaster's?
Can you describe the three ways the postmaster collected money and why he signed 'God'?
Can you explain why Lencho showed no surprise but became angry?
Can you state the irony of the ending in one sentence?
Can you name the two conflicts in the story with one example each?

A Letter to God: frequently asked questions

Who wrote A Letter to God and what is it about?

A Letter to God is written by G.L. Fuentes and is the first prose chapter of First Flight. It tells the story of Lencho, a farmer whose corn is destroyed by hail, who writes to God asking for a hundred pesos. The postmaster answers the letter with money collected from others.

What is the irony in A Letter to God?

The post office employees give their own money to help Lencho, but he believes they stole part of it. In his second letter he calls them "a bunch of crooks". The people who helped him are blamed, which is the opposite of what we expect.

How much money did Lencho receive and why was he angry?

Lencho asked for a hundred pesos but received seventy, a little more than half. He was angry because he believed God could not make a mistake or deny his request. So he concluded that the post office staff had taken the rest.

Why did the postmaster sign the letter as God?

He wanted to keep Lencho's faith in God from being shaken. By signing 'God', he let Lencho believe his prayer had been answered. It also shows his humility, since he took no credit for the good deed.

What are the two conflicts in A Letter to God?

The first is between humans and nature: the hailstorm destroys Lencho's crop. The second is between humans: Lencho distrusts and insults the post office employees who actually helped him.

Is Lencho a good person or ungrateful?

He is hardworking, hopeful and sincere in his faith. But his blind faith makes him naive and suspicious, so he ends up insulting the people who helped him. In an answer, show both sides with evidence from the story.

Based on: CBSE English Language and Literature syllabus 2026-27; NCERT First Flight (Reprint 2026-27), A Letter to God