A Letter To God
Oral Comprehension Check
Page No 5
1. What did Lencho hope for?
Ans:- Lencho hoped for a shower of rain as his crops needed water for a good harvest.
2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?
Ans:- Lencho compared the raindrops to 'new coins' because they promised a good harvest, which would bring him money. The big drops were like ten-cent coins and the small ones like five-cent coins.
3. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?
Ans:-The rain changed into a hailstorm. The hailstones ruined all of Lencho’s crops. There was nothing left in the field, and Lencho lost all hope.
4. What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?
Ans: Lencho was very sad because the hail left nothing. He thought he would go hungry that year.
Page No-6
1. Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
Ans:- Lencho had strong faith in God. He believed that God would help him. So, he wrote a letter to God asking for 100 pesos to sow his field again and support his family.
2. Who read the letter?
Ans: The postmaster read the letter.
3. What did the postmaster do then?
Ans:- The postmaster was surprised by Lencho’s faith in God. He decided to help him by collecting money from his employees and friends. He also gave part of his own salary and sent the money to Lencho.
Page No -7
1. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
Ans:-No, Lencho was not surprised to find the letter with money because he had full faith that God would help him.
2. What made him angry?
Ans:- Lencho became angry when he found only 70 pesos in the envelope instead of 100. He thought that God had sent the full amount but the post office employees had stolen the rest.
Thinking About the Text
1. Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?
Ans:- Lencho has complete faith in God. He believes that God will help him in his time of need. The sentences that show this are:
- “It was during the meal that, just as Lencho had predicted, big drops of rain began to fall.”
- “God: if you don’t help me, my family and I will go hungry during the coming year.”
- “It’s during the meal that, as Lencho had predicted, big drops of rain began to fall.”
These lines reflect Lencho’s strong belief that God listens and responds to his prayers.
2. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?
Ans:- The postmaster was surprised by Lencho’s letter to God. He wanted to help and keep Lencho’s faith in God. So, he collected some money and sent it to him.
He signed it ‘God’ so Lencho would believe that God had answered his prayer.
3. Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?
Ans:- No, Lencho did not try to find out who had sent the money. He believed that God had sent it because he had written a letter to Him. Lencho had complete faith in God and thought only God could help him. That’s why he did not think any human had sent the money.
4. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation? (Remember that the irony of a situation is an unexpected aspect of it. An ironic situation is strange or amusing because it is the opposite of what is expected.)
Ans:- Lencho thinks that the post office employees have taken the rest of the money. He believes God sent him the full 100 pesos, but the people at the post office kept 30 pesos.
The irony in the situation is that the same people who helped Lencho by collecting and sending the money are the ones he blames for stealing. It is unexpected and strange because they did a kind act, but Lencho misunderstands and accuses them instead of thanking them.
5. Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is? You may select appropriate words from the box to answer the question.
greedy naive stupid ungrateful
selfish comical unquestioning
Ans:- Yes, there are people like Lencho in the real world who have deep faith and simple hearts. Lencho was naive and unquestioning because he believed God would send him money directly. He was also a bit ungrateful, as he didn’t thank the people who helped him and instead blamed them for stealing.
He was not greedy or selfish, but he was too innocent to understand who really helped him.
Additional Short Questions and Answers:
1. Where was Lencho’s house located?
Ans: Lencho’s house was on the top of a low hill, overlooking the valley.
2. What did Lencho and his family do during the meal?
Ans: During the meal, Lencho and his family were looking at the sky, hoping for rain.
3. What happened during the meal?
Ans: It started to rain during the meal, which made Lencho very happy.
4. How did the hailstones affect the crops?
Ans: The hailstones destroyed the crops completely, leaving nothing to harvest.
5. How many pesos did Lencho ask for in his letter?
Ans: Lencho asked for 100 pesos.
6. Why did the postmaster decide to answer the letter?
Ans: The postmaster was touched by Lencho’s faith in God and wanted to keep that faith alive.
7. How much money could the postmaster collect?
Ans: The postmaster managed to collect only 70 pesos.
8. What did Lencho write in his second letter to God?
Ans: In his second letter, Lencho asked God to send the rest of the money, but not through the post office because he believed the employees were dishonest.
9. What type of man was Lencho?
Ans: Lencho was a simple, hardworking, and deeply religious farmer with great faith in God.
10. What is the irony in the story?
Ans: The irony is that Lencho blamed the very people who helped him, thinking they had stolen the money sent by God.
11. What did Lencho predict during the meal?
Ans: Lencho predicted that it was going to rain.
12. How did Lencho describe the rain?
Ans: Lencho described the rain as a blessing and compared the drops to coins.
13. How long did the hailstorm last?
Ans: The hailstorm lasted for about an hour.
14. What was the only hope left for Lencho?
Ans: The only hope left for Lencho was the help from God.
15. How did Lencho address the letter?
Ans: He addressed the letter to "God" at the top of the envelope.
16. What did the postman do when he saw the letter?
Ans: The postman laughed and showed the letter to the postmaster.
17. What was the postmaster’s reaction to Lencho’s letter?
Ans: He was impressed by Lencho’s faith and decided to help.
18. What efforts did the postmaster make to collect money?
Ans: He asked his employees, friends, and contributed from his own salary.
19. How did Lencho react after receiving the money?
Ans: He was angry and disappointed that some amount was missing.
20. What did Lencho think about the post office employees?
Ans: He thought they were dishonest and had stolen the rest of the money.
21. What lesson does the story teach us?
Ans: The story teaches about strong faith, human kindness, and irony in perceptions.
22. Why is the title "A Letter to God" appropriate?
Ans: It is appropriate because the whole story revolves around Lencho’s letter written to God, showing his unshakable faith.
23. What literary device is used in the phrase "the house – the only one in the entire valley"?
Ans: Hyperbole (exaggeration) is used.
24. What did Lencho’s crop need most?
Ans: A good rainfall.
25. Why did Lencho not want the rest of the money to be sent through the mail?
Ans: Because he thought the post office employees were corrupt and had stolen part of the money.
26. What does Lencho’s act of writing to God show about his character?
Ans: It shows that he was naive, innocent, and had unshakable faith in God.
27. What kind of rain did Lencho expect?
Ans: A soft, refreshing shower for his crops.
28. What kind of destruction did the hail cause?
Ans: It destroyed the corn completely and left nothing for the farmer.
29. What did Lencho do after the destruction of his crops?
Ans: He wrote a letter to God requesting help.
30. Why did the postmaster smile after reading the letter?
Ans: He smiled at Lencho’s simplicity and faith, but was also touched by it.
MCQ
1. Where was Lencho’s house situated?
A. On a high hill
B. In a city
C. On the crest of a low hill
D. Near a river
Ans: C. On the crest of a low hill
2. What did Lencho hope for?
A. A new house
B. A job
C. Rain for his crops
D. A tractor
Ans: C. Rain for his crops
3. What was the only thing the earth needed according to Lencho?
A. Sunshine
B. Fertilizer
C. A shower
D. Wind
Ans: C. A shower
4. How did Lencho describe the raindrops?
A. As pearls
B. As coins
C. As blessings
D. As tears
Ans: B. As coins
5. What happened after the rain started?
A. It stopped suddenly
B. It turned into a hailstorm
C. It caused a flood
D. It caused a drought
Ans: B. It turned into a hailstorm
6. What destroyed Lencho’s crops?
A. Flood
B. Drought
C. Insects
D. Hailstones
Ans: D. Hailstones
7. What was Lencho’s reaction after the storm?
A. He cried in happiness
B. He was angry
C. He was full of despair
D. He went to the city
Ans: C. He was full of despair
8. How many pesos did Lencho ask for?
A. 50
B. 70
C. 100
D. 200
Ans: C. 100
9. Whom did Lencho write a letter to?
A. His friend
B. The President
C. God
D. The Governor
Ans: C. God
10. Who read Lencho’s letter first?
A. His son
B. The postman
C. The farmer next door
D. The priest
Ans: B. The postman
11. What was the postmaster's initial reaction to the letter?
A. He ignored it
B. He laughed
C. He got angry
D. He sent it back
Ans: B. He laughed
12. Why did the postmaster help Lencho?
A. To earn money
B. To impress others
C. To preserve Lencho’s faith in God
D. To gain publicity
Ans: C. To preserve Lencho’s faith in God
13. How much money did the postmaster collect?
A. 100 pesos
B. 70 pesos
C. 90 pesos
D. 50 pesos
Ans: B. 70 pesos
14. What did Lencho think about the employees at the post office?
A. They were kind
B. They were helpful
C. They were honest
D. They were crooks
Ans: D. They were crooks
15. What did Lencho write in his second letter?
A. Thanks
B. A prayer
C. A complaint about the stolen money
D. Request for seeds
Ans: C. A complaint about the stolen money
16. What is the main theme of the story?
A. Science and religion
B. Faith and innocence
C. Anger and punishment
D. Greed and jealousy
Ans: B. Faith and innocence
17. What literary device is used in “It was during the meal that, as Lencho had predicted, big drops of rain began to fall”?
A. Irony
B. Simile
C. Foreshadowing
D. Metaphor
Ans: C. Foreshadowing
18. Who is the author of A Letter to God?
A. G.L. Fuentes
B. Ruskin Bond
C. R.K. Narayan
D. Anton Chekhov
Ans: A. G.L. Fuentes
19. What did Lencho compare the large raindrops to?
A. Silver coins
B. Five cent coins
C. Ten cent coins
D. Gold coins
Ans: C. Ten cent coins
20. What does the story A Letter to God teach us?
A. Always complain
B. Never help others
C. Faith can move mountains
D. Expect less from life
Ans: C. Faith can move mountains
