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A Letter to God NCERT Solutions Class 10 PDF Download 2026

Author: G.L. Fuentes | Book: First Flight

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📝 Introduction

"A Letter to God" is a powerful story about the extreme, unwavering faith of a simple, hardworking farmer named Lencho. His house is situated on the crest of a low hill, offering a view of his ripe cornfield. When a devastating hailstorm destroys his entire crop, leaving his family on the brink of starvation, Lencho's innocent faith in God remains unshaken. He writes a literal letter to God, demanding 100 pesos to sow his field again. The story takes a beautiful, yet ironic turn when the postmaster, moved by Lencho's faith, collects money to help him. However, upon receiving less money than requested, Lencho assumes the post office employees stole it, highlighting a profound irony about human nature and blind faith.

🔑 Key Concepts & Characters

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📚 Part 1: NCERT Solutions (Reading with Insight)

Q1: What did Lencho hope for?

Ans: Lencho desperately hoped for a good rain (a downpour or at least a shower). It was the only thing his field of ripe corn needed to ensure a good harvest and financial security for his family.

Q2: Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like 'new coins'?

Ans: Lencho compared the raindrops to 'new coins' because the rain would guarantee a rich harvest of corn. A good harvest would bring him money and prosperity. He referred to the big drops as ten-cent pieces and the little ones as fives.

Q3: How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho's fields?

Ans: Suddenly, a strong wind began to blow, and the gentle rain transformed into very large hailstones. It hailed for an hour on the house, the garden, the hillside, and the cornfield. The entire field turned white, as if covered with salt. The corn was totally destroyed, and not a single leaf remained on the trees.

Q4: What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?

Ans: When the hail stopped, Lencho's soul was filled with profound sadness. Looking at his destroyed field, he said that even a plague of locusts would have left more behind. He realized that they would have no corn that year and feared his family would go hungry.

Q5: Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?

Ans: Lencho had absolute and deep faith in God. He believed that God's eyes see everything, even what is deep in one's conscience. To seek help, he wrote a letter addressed to "God," explaining his ruined crops and asking for a hundred pesos to sow his field again and survive until the next harvest.

Q6: Who read the letter? What did the postmaster do then?

Ans: The postman found the letter and showed it to the postmaster. After initially laughing at the address, the postmaster became serious, deeply moved by the writer's faith. To ensure Lencho's faith in God was not shaken, the postmaster decided to answer the letter. He collected money from his employees, gave part of his own salary, and sent 70 pesos to Lencho, signing the letter simply as "God."

Q7: Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it? Why was he angry?

Ans: No, Lencho was not surprised in the slightest to see the money; his confidence in God was so immense that he fully expected the reply. However, he became extremely angry when he counted the money. He found only 70 pesos instead of the 100 he had requested. He believed God could not make a mistake, so he immediately suspected the post office employees of stealing the remaining 30 pesos.

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⚡ Part 2: 15 Extra Practice Questions (PYQ Style)

Part I: Short Answer Questions

PYQ 2019

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 where one could see the river and the field of ripe corn dotted with flowers.

Q2: Why did Lencho keep looking towards the north-east?

Ans: Lencho kept looking towards the north-east sky because he was eagerly anticipating rain for his crops. He knew that the rain clouds typically approached his valley from that direction.

PYQ 2018

Q3: What did Lencho compare the hailstones to?

Ans: While he initially compared raindrops to "new coins," the story notes that the frozen hailstones truly resembled "new silver coins," and the boys ran out to collect these "frozen pearls."

Q4: Why did Lencho go to the post office a bit earlier than usual the following Sunday?

Ans: Lencho went to the post office earlier than usual because he was anxious and completely confident that God had sent a reply to his letter containing the 100 pesos he had requested.

Q5: What was the postmaster's intention behind collecting the money?

Ans: The postmaster’s sole intention was to preserve Lencho’s immense faith in God. He did not want Lencho to be heartbroken or lose his belief, so he performed an act of charity to help the poor farmer.

Q6: What did Lencho write in his second letter to God?

Ans: In his second letter, Lencho complained to God that he only received 70 pesos. He asked God to send the remaining 30 pesos directly to him, but instructed Him not to send it through the mail because the post office employees were a "bunch of crooks."

Part II: Long Answer Questions

PYQ 2020

Q7: Write a character sketch of Lencho.

Ans: Lencho is a simple, hardworking farmer who works like an "ox of a man" in his fields. He is innocent, naive, and deeply religious. His most defining trait is his unwavering, blind faith in God. When his crops are destroyed, instead of losing hope, he relies entirely on divine intervention. However, his extreme faith in God makes him suspicious of his fellow human beings. He lacks worldly wisdom, as he genuinely believes God will mail him currency notes, and ironically, he accuses the very humans who helped him of being thieves.

Q8: Describe the character of the Postmaster. How did he react to Lencho's letter?

Ans: The postmaster is a fat, amiable, and kind-hearted man. Initially, he breaks out laughing at the absurdity of a letter addressed to God. But soon, he is deeply moved by the sheer depth of Lencho's faith. He is a man of great empathy and leadership. To ensure Lencho's faith isn't shattered, he takes the initiative to act as God's messenger. He donates a part of his salary and persuades his colleagues to contribute for an "act of charity." His character represents human goodness, compassion, and selfless service.

PYQ 2021

Q9: "The story highlights the conflict between humans and nature as well as between humans and humans." Elaborate.

Ans: The story brilliantly portrays two distinct conflicts.
1. Humans vs. Nature: This is seen when the much-needed gentle rain suddenly turns into a destructive hailstorm, wiping out Lencho's entire crop. It shows human vulnerability against the mighty forces of nature.
2. Humans vs. Humans: This conflict is psychological. The postmaster and his employees show the highest form of humanity by collecting money for a stranger. Yet, Lencho suspects them of theft, calling them a "bunch of crooks." This highlights a tragic disconnect where a man trusts the unseen God completely but has zero faith in the goodness of his fellow human beings.

Q10: Discuss the irony in the ending of the story "A Letter to God".

Ans: Irony is a situation that produces the exact opposite of what is expected. The ending of the story is highly ironic. The postmaster and the postal employees perform a noble, selfless act of charity by giving their own money to help a poor farmer. They expect to feel the satisfaction of having done a good deed. However, the exact opposite happens. Lencho, finding the money short, believes God sent the full amount but the postal employees stole the rest. He ironically labels his benefactors and saviors as a "bunch of crooks."

Part III: Competency & Extract Based Questions

Q11: If you were the Postmaster, how would you have reacted upon reading Lencho's second letter?

Ans: If I were the postmaster, my initial reaction upon reading the second letter would be shock and a slight sting of disappointment. It hurts to be labeled a "crook" after performing a selfless act. However, upon reflection, I would understand that Lencho's reaction was a testament to the fact that my mission succeeded—his absolute faith in God remained unbroken. I would likely feel a mix of amusement at his innocence and a quiet satisfaction that I helped a desperate family survive.

Q12: "It’s really getting bad now... I hope it passes quickly." Who says this and what does 'it' refer to?

Ans: Lencho says this line. 'It' refers to the violent hailstorm that had suddenly begun, accompanied by strong winds. Lencho was desperately hoping it would stop soon before it could completely destroy his ripening cornfield.

Q13: Why did the postmaster sign the letter "God"?

Ans: The postmaster signed it "God" because he wanted Lencho to believe that God Himself had directly answered his prayers and sent the money. It was a thoughtful gesture to keep the poor farmer's faith completely intact.

Q14: How much money could the postmaster arrange?

Ans: Despite his best efforts, asking for contributions from employees and friends, and giving a part of his salary, the postmaster could only arrange a little more than half of what was requested—exactly 70 pesos.

Q15: What does the term "a plague of locusts" mean?

Ans: A plague of locusts refers to a massive swarm of insects (locusts) that fly in large groups and completely destroy standing crops. Lencho used this term to say that even a destructive swarm of insects would have left more of the crop behind than the hailstorm did.

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❓ FAQ Section

1. What is a 'peso'?
A 'peso' is the monetary currency of several Latin American countries, indicating that the story is set in Latin America.
2. Does the story have a happy or sad ending?
The ending is deeply ironic. While it is happy in the sense that Lencho gets enough money to survive, it is sad that he fails to recognize the goodness of human beings and falsely accuses those who helped him.
3. What is the central message of the story?
The central message revolves around the immense power of faith, which can "move mountains." It also sheds light on the tragic lack of trust humans have in each other, despite having absolute faith in the divine.