A LETTER TO GOD - G. L. FUENTES

A LETTER TO GOD - G . L. FUENTES

Oral Comprehension check ( page no -5) :

(1) What did Lencho hope for ?

Ans : Lencho hoped for a downpour or at least a shower for his cornfields .

(2) Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘ new coins ’ ?

Ans : Lencho said that the raindrops were like ‘ new coins ’ because it would give full nourishment to the crops in his cornfields in getting the best harvest so that he would sell that crops for money in the market . He resembled the big drops and the little drops of rain with ten cent and five cent pieces respectively .

(3) How did the rain change ? What happened to Lencho’s fields ?

Ans : The rain changed into a big hailstorm which lasted for an hour on his house , garden , hillside , cornfield and the whole valley .

The field was white , as if covered with salt . Not a leaf remained on the trees . The flowers were gone from the plants . The corn was totally destroyed .

(4) What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped ?

Ans : When the hail stopped , Lencho’s soul was filled with sadness . He felt that the hail had left nothing and that year would have no corn . All their hard work in vain . There was no one to help them , they would go hungry that year .

Oral Comprehension check ( page no- 6) :

(1) Who or what did Lencho have faith in ? What did he do ?

Ans: Lencho had faith in God .

He wrote a letter to God asking for one hundred pesos to cover up his losses .

(2) Who read the letter ?

Ans : The postmaster read the letter .

(3) What did the postmaster do then ?

Ans : The postmaster did not want to shake the faith of Lencho . He decided to help him . For this purpose he collected money from his employees , friends as a charity . He himself gave a part of his salary and so he collected seventy pesos . Then he mailed this to Lencho with a letter having only the signature of God .

Oral Comprehension check ( page no - 7) :

(1) Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it ?

Ans : No , Lencho was not surprised at all .

(2) What made him angry ?

Ans : When Lencho opened the letter , he found only seventy pesos instead of hundred pesos that he asked for . He thought that God surely sent the hundred pesos but the employees at the post office had stolen thirty pesos from it and this made him very angry .

Thinking about the text :

(1) Who does Lencho have complete faith in ? Which sentences in the story tell you this ?

Ans : Lencho had complete faith in God . The following sentences in the story tell us this :

(a) Lencho thought only of his one hope : the help of God …..in one’s conscience .

(b) God , he wrote , “ If you don’t help me …….this year .”

(d) Lencho showed not the little surprised on seeing the money ……such was his confidence …..

(e) God : Of the money that I asked for only … I meet it very much .

(2) Why did the postmaster send money to Lencho ? Why does he sign the letter ‘ God ’ ?

Ans: The postmaster wondered at Lencho’s deep faith on God . He did not want to shake his faith . Therefore he sent him the money so that he would think that God had granted his appeal .

He signed the letter ‘ God ’ so that Lencho would believe that it was really God who had sent him the money .

(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 to him because he obviously knew that it was sent by God himself .

(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 employees had taken away the rest of the money .

The irony in the situation is that the postmaster and his employees had raised money and sent it to Lencho. But Lencho did not know the secret and suspected them and termed them as a bunch of crooks .

(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: In today's world , it is almost impossible to find people like Lencho , but in places where sciences questioning mind has not raised its head , such as among tribals of remote areas , people of his kind may be found.

Lencho was a simple a village farmer , who had a strong belief in God and his goodness. He was quite naive and accepeted the impossible without a question . He was ungrateful and a little greedy in failing to thank God in his second letter and in insisting on the balance money . he was of a suspicious nature and jumped to conclusions . All in all Lencho was comical on his stupidity.

(6) There are two kinds of conflict in the story : between humans and nature , and between humans themselves . How are these conflicts illustrated ?

Ans: The conflict between humans and nature is demonstrated with the hailstorm destroying Lencho's cornfield . Lencho had hoped for a shower to help his harvest but when the rain turned to hail , it ended up destroying his crop totally . On the other hand , the3 conflict between humans is demonstrated when Lencho inadvertently blames the v ery people who had tried to help him. he had much faith in God's goodness of his fellow human beings , and so blames them for stealing his money . not knowing that they had sent the money in the first place .

Thinking about Language :

I. Look at the following sentence from the story.

Suddenly a strong wind began to blow and along with the rain very large hailstones began to fall .

' Hailstones ' are small balls of ice that fall like rain . A storm in which hailstones fall is a ' hailstorm ' . You know that storm is bad weather with strong winds , rain , thunder and lightning .

There are different names in different parts of the world for storms , depending on their nature . Can you match the names in the box with their descriptions below , and fill in the blanks ? You may use a dictionary .

gale , whirlwind , cyclone , hurricane , tornado , Typhoon

1. A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle : _ _ c _ _ _ _ .

2. An extremely strong wind : _ a _ _ .

3. A violent tropical storm with very strong winds : _ _ p _ _ _ _ .

4. A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of funnel : _ _ _ n _ _ _ .

5. A violent storm with very strong winds , especially in the western Atlantic Ocean :
_ _ r _ _ _ _ _ _ .

6. A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot of damage : _ _ _ _ l _ _ _ _ .

Ans :

1. A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle : Cyclone.

2. An extremely strong wind : Gale .

3. A violent tropical storm with very strong winds : Typhoon.

4. A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of funnel : Tornado.

5. A violent storm with very strong winds , especially in the western Atlantic Ocean :
Hurricane.

6. A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot of damage : Whirlwind.

(ii) Notice how the word ' hope ' is used in these sentences from the story:

(a) I hope it ( the hailstorm ) passes quickly .

(b) There was a single hope : help from God .

In the first example , ' hope ' is a verb which means you wish for something to happen . In the second example it is a noun meaning a chance for something to happen.

Match the sentences in Column A with the meaning of ' hope ' in column B.

A B

1. Will you get the subjects you want to study in college ?

I hope so.

2. I hope you don’t mind my saying this , but I don’t like the way you are arguing.

3. This discovery will give new hope to HIV/AIDS suffers.

4. We were against hope that the judges would not notice our mistakes.

5. I called early in the hope of speaking to her before she went to school.

6. Just when everybody had given up , the fisherman came back, seven days after the cyclone.

a feeling that something good will probably happen.

Thinking that this would happen ( It may or may not have happened )

Stopped believing that this good thing would happen.

Wanting something to happen ( and thinking it quite possible )

Showing concern that what you say should not offend or disturb the other person : a way of being polite .

wishing for something to happen although this is very unlikely

Ans : A B

(1).Will you get the subjects you want to study in college ? I hope so.	Wanting something to happen ( and thinking it quite possible )
(2)I hope you don’t mind my saying this , but I don’t like the way you are arguing.	Showing concern that what you say should not offend or disturb the other person : a way of being polite .
(3)This discovery will give new hope to HIV/AIDS suffers.	a feeling that something good will probably happen.
(4)We were against hope that the judges would not notice our mistakes.	wishing for something to happen although this is very unlikely
(5)I called early in the hope of speaking to her before she went to school.	Thinking that this would happen ( It may or may not have happened )
(6)Just when everybody had given up , the fisherman came back, seven days after the cyclone.	Stopped believing that this good thing would happen.

iii. Relative Clauses

Look at these sentences

(a) All morning Lencho - who knew his fields intimately - looked at the sky .

(b) The woman, who was preparing supper , replied , " Yes , God willing.''

The italicised parts of the sentences give us more infomation about Lencho and the woman . We call them relative clauses, Noitice that they begin with a relative pronoun who . Other common relative pronouns are whom , whose , and which.

The relative clauses in (a) and (b) above are called non-defining , becvause we already know the identityu of the person they describe . Lencho is a particular person , and there is particular woman he speakes to . We don't need the information in the relative clause to pick these people out from a larger set .

A non-defining relative clause usually has a comma in front of it and a comma after it ( some writers use a dash (-) instead as in theory). If the relative clause comes at the end , we just put a full stop.

Join the sentences given below using who , whom , whose, which ,as suggested.

1. I often go to Mumbai . Mumbai is the commercial capital of India . (which)

2. My mother is going to host a TV show on cooking . She cooks very well . (who)

3. These sportspersons are going to meet the President . Their performance has been excellent . (whose)

4. Lencho prayed to God . his eyes see into minds .( whose )

5. This man cheated me ./ I trusted him. (whom)

Sometimes the relative pronoun in a relative clause remains 'hidden' . For example , look at the first sentence of the story :

(a) The house - the only one in the entire valley - sat on the ccrest of a low hill.

We can rewrite this sentence as :

(b) The house - which was the only one in the entire valley - sat on the crest of a low hill .

In (a) the realtive pronoun which and the verb was are not present.

Ans:

1. I often go to Mumbai which is the commercial capital of India .

2. My mother who cooks very well , is going to host a TV show on cooking.

3. These sportspersons whose performance has been excellent , are going to meet the President.

4. Lencho prayed to God whose eyes see into minds.

5. This man , whom I trusted , cheated me.

IV. Using Negative for Emphasis

We know that sentences with words such as no , not or nothing show the absence of something , or contradict something . For example :

(a) This year we will have no corn. ( Corn will be absent )

(b) The hail has left nothing . ( Absence of a crop )

(c) These aren't raindrops falling from the sky , they arfe new coins . ( Contradicts the common idea of what the drops of water falling from the sky are )

But sometimes negative words are used just to emphasise an idea . Look at these sentences from the story :

(d) Lencho ... had done nothing else but see the sky towards the north-east . ( He had done only this )

(e) The man went for no other reason than to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body . ( He had only this reason )

(f) Lencho showed not the slighest surprise on seeing the money. ( He showed no surprise at all )

Now look back at example (c) Notice that the contradiction in fact serves to emphasis the value or usefulness of the rain to the farmer.

Find sentences in the story with negative words , which express the following ideas emphatically.

1. The trees lost all their leaves.

_____________________________________________________________.

2. The letter was addressed to God himself.

_____________________________________________________________.

3. The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.

_____________________________________________________________.

Ans :

1. Not a leaf reamined on the trees .

2. It was nothing less than a letter to God.

3. Never in his career as a postman had he known that address .

V. Metaphors

The word metaphor comes from a Greek word meaning ' transfer'. Metaphors compare two things or ideas : a quality or feature of one thing is transferred to another thing . Some this common metaphors are

the leg of the table : The leg supports our body . So the object that supports a table is described as a leg .
the heart of the city : The heart is an important organ in the centre of our body . So this word is used to describe the central area of a city .

In pairs , find metaphors from the story to complete the table below. Try to say what qualities are being compared . One has been done for you .

Object	Metaphor	Quality or Feature Compared
Cloud	Huge mountains of clouds	The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains
Raindrops
Hailstones
Locusts
		An epidemic ( a disease) that spreads very rapidly and leaves many people dead.
	An ox of a man

Ans :

Object	Metaphor	Quality or Feature Compared
Cloud	Huge mountains of clouds	The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains
Raindrops	Draped in a curtain of rain	The ability to cover everything
Hailstones	Frozen pearls	The white and shiny surface
Locusts	Plague of locusts	The consequences ( destruction) of plague
Plague	A disease	An epidemic ( a disease) that spreads very rapidly and leaves many people dead.
Man	An ox of a man	The amount of physical work done in the field.

HSLC EXAM QUESTIONS

A. Very Short Type Question : Mark : 1

1. Choose the correct answer from the alternatives given : [ HSLC 15 ]

(a) I need a hundred pesos _________ . ( currency of India / Spain / Latin America )

Ans : Currency of Latin America .

(b) Send me the rest , since I need it very much . ( relax / remaining part / be buried ) [ HSLC 16 ]

Ans : remaining part .

(c) The house - the only one in the entire valley - sat on the crest of a low hill . ( wide / whole / flat ) [ HSLC 17 ]

Ans : whole .

2. What happened to Lencho's fields after the hailstorm ? [ HSLC 15 ]

Ans : After the hailstorm , the field was white as if covered with salt. Not a leaf remained on the trees . The corn was totally destroyed . The flowers were gone from the plants .

3. Where was Lencho's home situated ? [ HSLC 16 ]

Ans : Lencho's home was situated on the crest of a low hill in the entire valley .

4. " All through the night , Lencho thought only of his one hope : '' What was Lencho's only one hope ? [ HSLC 17 ]

Ans : Lencho's only one hope was the help from God .

5.What type of man was the postmaster ? [ HSLC 19 ]

Ans : The postmaster was a fat , amiable fellow .

6.What was the one hope of Lencho ? [ HSLC 20 ]

Ans : The help of god was the one hope of Lencho.

7. What did Lencho say to his sons after the hailstorm ? [ HSLC 20 ]

Ans : After the hailstorm Lencho told his sons that a plague of locusts would have been left more than the hailstorm .

B. Short Type Questions : Marks : 2/3

1. '' These aren't raindrops falling from the sky , they are new coins ,'' Why did Lencho consider the raindrops as ' new coins ' ? [ HSLC 15 ]

Ans : Lencho considerd the raindrops as ' new coins' . His family and he had planted corn in the valley . The field of ripe corn dotted with the flowers that always promised a good harvest . The only thing was needed a downpour or at least a shower . As per his prediction big drops of rain began to fall . He told his family that the raindrops are new coins where the big drops are ten cent pieces and the little ones are fives.

2. '' But don't send it to me through the mail because the post office employees are a bunch of crooks .''

What made Lencho think that the post office employees were a bunch of crooks ? [ HSLC - 16 ]

Ans : In the 2nd letter of Lencho , he wrote that not to send the money through mailbox because the post office employees are a bunch of crooks . He thought that god couldnot have mistake , nor coould he have denied Lencho what he had requested .So , he thought that the rest money had been taken by the post office employees.

3. What did the postmaster do after he had received Lencho's letter ? [ HSLC - 17 , 20 ]

Ans : After he had received Lencho's letter the postmaster wanted to reply his letter in order to keep Lencho's faith in god . But when he opened the letter , it was evident that to answer it he needed something more than goodwill , ink and paper . But he stuck to his resolution and asked money from his employees , friends and he himself gave part of his salary and then sent seventy pesos to Lencho .

4. What did Lencho do throughout the morning ? What did he see in the north -east ? [ HSLC - 18 ]

Ans : Lencho had done nothing but saw the sky towards the north-east. He saw the huge of mountains of clouds approaching in the north-east.

5. '' Lencho's soul was filled with sadness.'' Why ? [ HSLC - 18 ]

Ans : Lencho's soul was filled with sadness because after the hailstorm , the field was white as if covered with salt. Not a leaf remained on the trees . The corn was totally destroyed . The flowers were gone from the plants . The hail has left nothing . That year they will have no corn and there is no one who can help them .

6. '' The only thing the earth needed ...'' What 'only thing' the earth needed ? [ HSLC - 19 ]

Ans : '' The only thing the earth needed ....'' The 'only thing' the earth needed was a downpour or at least a shower . It was very necessary in the field of ripe corn dotted with the flowers . It brings him a good harvest .

7. What did Lencho write in his letter to God ? [ HSLC - 19 ]

Ans : Lencho wrote in his letter that if God does not help him , his family and he will go hungry that year .Therefore he needed a hundred pesos in order to sow his field again and to live until the crop comes .

Additional Important Questions : Mark : 1

A. Very Short Type Questions : Mark : 1

1. Choose the correct answer :

(a) (i) A letter to God was written by Ruskin Bond .

(ii) A letter to Gad was written by Lokesh Abrol .

(iii) A letter to God was written by G.L. Fuentes .

Ans : (iii) A letter to God was written by G.L. Fuentes .

(b) (i) The house on the crest of a low hill .

(ii) The house stood on the crest of a mountain .

(iii) The house stood on a deep valley .

Ans : (i) The house on the crest of a low hill .

(ii) The crop that grew was corn .

(iii) The crop that grew was barley.

Ans : (ii) The crop that grew was corn .

(d) (i) Lencho's profession was share cropping.

(ii) Lecho's profession was farming .

(iii) Lencho's profession was brickmaking .

Ans : (ii) Lecho's profession was farming .

(e) (i) Lencho went out in the rain to enjoy himself .

(ii) Lencho went out in the rain to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body .

(iii) Lencho went out in the rain to collect rain water .

Ans : (ii) Lencho went out in the rain to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body .

(f) (i) Lencho wrote a letter to God .

(ii) Lencho wrote a letter to the village master .

(iii) Lencho wrote a letter to the village master .

Ans : (i) Lencho wrote a letter to God .

(g) (i) Lencho's manner of posting the letter showed that he was a truly kind hearted and simple man .

(ii) Lencho's manner of posting the letter showed that he was greedy .

(iii) Lencho's manner of posting the letter showed that he needed education.

Ans : (i) Lencho's manner of posting the letter showed that he was a truly kind hearted and simple man .

2. Say True or false .

(a) Lencho was a farmer by a profession .

Ans : True.

(b) Lencho had no family of his own .

Ans : False.

Ans : True.

(d) All the corns of Lencho were totally destroyed .

Ans : True.

(e) Lencho had an unshakable faith in God .

Ans : True.

(f) Lencho expects 100 roubles in reply to his letter .

Ans : false.

(g) The postmaster came to know about Lencho's unshakable belief in God by opening and reading the letter of Lencho to God .

Ans : True.

(h) Lencho wrote a second letter to God conveying his thanks to Almighty for fulfilling his wish.

Ans : True.

3. Choose the correct meaning of the italicized words from the alternatives given in brackets .

(a) .......... sat on the ' crest ' of a low ....... ( top of a hill / middle / height )

Ans : top of a hill .

(b) .......... was a ' downpour ' or at least a ......... . (wind / heavy fall of rain / storm )

Ans : heavy fall of rain .

Ans : lonely .

(d) ......... fat , ' amiable ' fellow ........ ( unsociable / friendly / mannerless )

Ans : friendly .

(e) ........ experiencing the ' contentment ' of a man .......... ( disgust / derision / satisfaction )

Ans : satisfaction .

4. Who is the writer of the prose-piece , " A letter to God " ?

Ans : The writer of the prose-piece , " A letter to God " is G.L. Fuentes .

5. Who was Lencho ?

Ans : Lencho was a farmer .

6. Where was the house of Lencho situated ?

Ans : Lencho's home was situated on the crest of a low hill in entire valley.

7. From where one can see the river ?

Ans : One can see the river from the crest of a low hill in the valley .

8. What crop was cultivated by Lencho ?

Ans : Corn was cultivated by Lencho .

9. What was the peculiar thing about Lencho's house ?

Ans : In the entire valley there was only one house of Lencho who lived with his family .

10. What did the crop need before ripening ?

Ans : The crop needed a downpour or at least a shower before ripening .

11. Who was the " woman " mentioned in the story ?

Ans : The ' woman ' mentioned in the story was Lencho's wife .

12. What was prepared by the woman ?

Ans : Supper was prepared by the woman.

13. Where were the older boys working ?

Ans : The older boys were working in the field .

14. Where were the smaller boys playing ?

Ans : The smaller boys were playing near the house .

15. What was Lencho's profession ?

Ans : Lencho was a farmer .

16. What happened during the meal ?

Ans : During the meal , big drops of rain began to fall as per Lencho's prediction.

17. When did the big drops of rain begin to fall ?

Ans : The big drops of rain began to fall during the meal .

18. From where the huge mountains of clouds could be seen approaching ?

Ans : The huge mountains of clouds could be seen approaching in the north-east.

19. How was the air ?

Ans : The air was fresh and sweet .

20. Why did Lencho go out in the rain ?

Ans : Lencho went out in the rain to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body .

21. What were the rain drops like , according to Lencho ?

Ans : According to Lencho the rain drops were new coins.

22. When did the very large hail stones begin to fall ?

Ans : When a strong wind began to blow , the very large hail stones began to fall.

23. How was the field looked after the rain ?

Ans : The field looked white as if covered with salt after the rain .

24. What happened to Lencho's fields ?

Ans : Lencho's field was fully destroyed because of falling large hailstones.

25. Who or What did Lencho have faith in ?

Ans : Lencho had faith in God .

26. Was Lencho a hard working man ?

Ans : Yes , Lencho was a hard working man.

27. To whom , did Lencho write a letter ?

Ans : Lencho wrote a letter to God .

28. What was the strange thing about Lencho's letter ?

Ans : The letter was written to God was the strange thing about Lencho's letter .

29. What did Lencho expect in reply to his letter ?

Ans : Lencho expected money of hundred pesos besides goodwill , ink and paper in reply to his letter .

30. Where did Lencho drop the letter ?

Ans : Lencho dropped the letter into the mailbox.

31. To whom did the postman give the letter ?

Ans : The postman gave the letter to the postmaster .

32. Who read the letter ?

Ans : The postmaster read the letter .

33. What was the idea that the postmaster came up with ?

Ans : To answer the letter was the idea that the postmaster came up with.

34. To whom did the postmaster ask for money ?

Ans : The postmaster asked for money to god .

35. How much money did he himself give ?

Ans : He himself gave a part of salary of his own .

36. Did Lencho receive a reply to his letter ?

Ans : Yes , Lencho received a reply to his letter from the postmaster . He believed that the reply came from the God. But it is not from the God .

37. When did Lencho come to the post office again ?

Ans : Lencho came to the post office again on the following Sunday .

38. Who handed the letter ?

Ans : The postman handed the letter .

39. What did he seek when he went up to the window ?

Ans : He went up to the window to bring paper and ink .

40. Why did Lencho write a second letter to God ?

Ans : Lencho wrote a second letter to God because he did not get the full money that he asked for . He only got seventy pesos in stead of getting hundred pesos . So he asked for the rest through second letter .

41. Who read the letter for a second time ?

Ans : The postmaster read the letter for a second time .

B. Short Type Questions : Marks : 2/3

1. Give a brief description of Lencho's house .

Ans : There is only one house in the entire vally . The house was on the crest of a low hill in that valley . From the valley one could see the ripe corn field dotted with flowers and the river .

2. Who was Lencho ? What was his profession ?

Ans : Lencho was a farmer . His profession was cultivator .

3. Give a brief description of Lencho's family ?

Ans : There is only one house in the entire valley . Lencho and his family live on the crest of a low hill in that valley . Lencho's profession was cultivator and they planted corn in the field . The older boys of Lencho were working in the field and the smaller ones were playing near the house while their mother preparing supper.

4. When was the rain started ? How did the family of Lencho welcome the rain ?

Ans: The rain was started during the meal .

Lencho went out for no other reason than to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body . He told that the raindrops are new coins where the big drops are ten cent pices and the smaller ones are fives. The boys exposing themselves to the rain , ran out to collect the frozen pearls during hailstone . In this way the family of Lencho welcomed the rain.

5. What did Lencho hope for ?

Ans: Lencho hoped for a downpour or at least a shower for his cornfield because the field of ripe corn dotted with the flowers and during that time rain would be very necessary which brings a good harvest .

6. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ' new coins ' ?

Ans: Lencho considerd the raindrops as ' new coins' . His family and he had planted corn in the valley . The field of ripe corn dotted with the flowers that always promised a good harvest . The only thing was needed a downpour or at least a shower . As per his prediction big drops of rain began to fall . He told his family that the raindrops are new coins where the big drops are ten cent pieces and the little ones are fives.

7. How did the rain change ? What happened to Lencho's fields ?

Ans : The rain changed into a big hailstorm which lasted for an hour on his house , garden , hillside , cornfield and the whole valley .

The field was white , as if covered with salt . Not a leaf remained on the trees .The flowers were gone from the plants . The corn was totally destroyed .

8. Describe the destruction caused by the hailstones in Lencho's fields ?

Ans : The hailstorm did not pass quickly . For an hour the hail rained on the house , the whole garden , the hillside , the cornfield , on the whole valley . The field was white , as if covered with salt . Not a leaf remained on the trees . The corn was totally destroyed . The flowers were gone from the plants . The hail has left nothing .
In this way Lelcho's corn field was destroyed .

9. What were Lencho's feelings when the hail stopped ?

Ans: Lencho's soul was filled with sadness because after the hail stopped , the field was white as if covered with salt. Not a leaf remained on the trees . The corn was totally destroyed . The flowers were gone from the plants . The hail has left nothing . That year they will have no corn and there is no one who can help them .

10. How did Lencho console his family ?

Ans : Lencho told his family not to be so upset , even though the destruction seems like a total loss and called them that no one dies of hunger and his family also agreed to this statement. In this way Lencho consoled his family .

11. Who or what did Lencho have faith in ? What did he do ?

Ans : Lencho had faith in God .

He wrote a letter to God asking for one hundred pesos to cover up his losses .

12. What did he write in the letter addressed to God ?

Ans : Lencho wrote in the letter addressed to God that if God does not help him , his family and he will go hungry that year .Therefore he needed a hundred pesos in order to sow his field again and to live until the crop comes .

13. How did Lencho send the letter ?

Ans : Lencho wrote ' To God ' on the envelope , put the letter inside and went to town . At the post office , he placed a stamp on the letter and dropped it into the mailbox. In this way Lencho sent the letter.

14. Why was the postmaster amazed after seeing the letter ?

Ans : The postmaster was amazed after seeing the letter because the letter was written addressed to God where Lencho wrote about the destruction of his corn which was totally destroyed by hailstorm .And now there is no one who can help them , but his family and he hoped : the help of god. In his letter Lencho asked for a hundred pesos in order to sow his field again and to live until the crop comes. This type of faith Lencho had in God .

15. What did the postmaster do in order not to break Lencho's firm belief in Almighty ?

Ans : The postmaster replied Lencho's letter in order not to break Lencho's firm belief in Almighty . But when he opened it , it was evident that to answer it needed something more than goodwill , ink and paper . But he stuck to his resolution and for this he asked for money from his employees , friends and he himself gave part of salary and sent seventy pesos to Lencho through letter .

16. Why did the postmaster send money to Lencho ? Why did he sign the letter ' God ' ?

Ans : The postmaster wondered at Lencho’s deep faith on God . He did not want to shake his faith . Therefore he sent him the money so that he would think that God had granted his appeal .

He signed the letter ‘ God ’ so that Lencho would believe that it was really God who had sent him the money .

17. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it ? Cite the reason .
Ans : No , Lencho was not surprised to find a letter for him with money in it because he completely believed in God . He believed that only god can help him and there is no who can help them . He asked for a hundred pesos in order to sow his field again to live until the crop comes .

18. Why was Lencho angry after opening the envelope ?

Ans : Lencho became angry after opening the envelope because he got only seventy pesos in stead of geeting a hundred pesos that he requested in his letter addressed to God . He thought that god could not have made a mistake , nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested.

19. What did Lencho write in his second letter to God ?

Ans : Lencho wrote that of the money that he asked for , only seventy pesos reached him . He requested god to send him the rest , since it was needed very much for him . Again he requested god no to send the money through the mail because the post office employees are a bunch of crooks .

20. Do you think that the employees at the post office were really crooks ?

Ans : No , I think that the employees at the post ofice were not crooks . The employees at the post office were good specially the postmaster who helped Lencho a lot . He collected money and sent seventy pesos to Lencho through letter . The postmaster did not want to break Lencho's faith in God . But he could not send the money that Lencho had requested because it was impossible to gather together the hundred pesos. So Lencho got only seventy pesos in stead of getting a hundred pesos . He became angry after counting the money and he thought that the employees had taken the rest money .

C. Essay Type Questions : Marks : 4/5

1. Why did Lencho write a letter addressed to God ?

Ans : Lencho planted crop in his field in the valley . The field of ripe corn dotted with flowers that always promised a good harvest. The only thing the earth needed was a downpour or at least a shower so that he would get good harvest . He lived with his family on that valley . As per his prediction , a big drops of rain began to fall and his family and he felt very happy . He commented that the raindrops are ' new coins ' . But unfortunately a strong wind began to blow and along with the rain very large hailstone began to fall . He thought that it passes quickely . But it did not pass. For an hour the hail rained on the house , the garden , the hillside , the cornfield on the whole valley . The field was white , as if covered with salt . not a leaf remained on the trees . The flowers were gone from the plants . The corn was totally destroyed . Lencho's soul was filled with sadness . The hail has left nothing . That year they will have no corn and there is no one who can help them . But in the the hearts of all who lived that solitary house in the middle of the valley , there was a single hope : help from God.
He consoled his family that they need not be worry about their losses because no one dies of hunger . All through the night Lencho thought only of his one hope : the help of god , whose eyes , as he had been instructed , see everything , even what is deep in one's conscience. He had a great faith in god , so he wanted a help from god . He wanted a hundred pesos in order to sow his field again and to live until the crop comes . That is why Lencho wrote a letter addressed to God .

2. '' God '' , wrote Lencho , '' If you don't help me , my family and I will go hungry this year '' ?
Did Lencho receive any help and support from the Almighty ? If so , why ?

Ans : Acutally Lencho did not receive any help and support from the Almighty . He received help and support from the postmaster without knowing . Lencho wrote the letter addressed to God and mailed . The postman saw the address and laughed and showed the postmaster the letter to god . Never in his career had he known that address. The postmaster also broke out laughing but immedaitely he turned serious. In order not to shake Lencho's faith in god , the postmaster came up an idea : answer the letter . But when he opened it , it was evident that to answer it he needed something more than goodwill , ink and paper . But he stuck to his resolution : he asked for money from employees , friends and he himself gave his part of salary and finally he sent seventy pesos to Lencho. But he could not send the whole money that he requested in his letter . So Lencho got only seventy pesos as a help and support.

3. What was the reaction of lencho after he had received the letter ?

Ans : The reaction of Lencho was very normal after he had received the letter . Lencho showed not the slighest surprise on seeing the money ; such was his confidence . But he became angry when he counted the money because he had not received the full money he had requested to God . He thought that god could not have made a mistake , nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested . Immediately , Lencho went up to the window to ask for paper and ink.Lencho wrote that of the money that he asked for , only seventy pesos reached him . He requested god to send him the rest , since it was needed very much for him . Again he requested god no to send the money through the mail because the post office employees are a bunch of crooks .

4. Explain whether a letter addressed to God served Lencho's purpose ?

Ans : Yes , a letter addressed to God served Lencho's purpose . After the destruction of his cornfield , Lencho's soul was filled with sadness because the hail has left nothing and there is no noe who can help us. But in the hearts of all who lived in the solitary house in the middle of the valley , there was a single hope : help from god.So he wrote a letter to god . He wrote that he needs a hundred pesos in order to sow his field again and to live until the crop comes.He dropped the letter into the mailbox. One of the employees , who was a postman and also helped at the post office , went to his boss laughing heartily and showed him the letter to God. Never in his career as a postman had he known that address . The postmaster - a fat , amiable fellow - also broke out laughing , but almost immediately he turned serious and tapping the letter on his desk and commented the given line . In order not to shake Lencho's faith in god , the postmaster came up an idea : answer the letter . But when he opened it , it was evident that to answer it he needed something more than goodwill , ink and paper . But he stuck to his resolution : he asked for money from employees , friends and he himself gave his part of salary and finally he sent seventy pesos to Lench. But he could not send the whole money that he requested in his letter . Here a letter addressed to god served Lencho's purpose indirectly . Lencho did not get any information about the postmaster and he need not want to find out . In this story the postmaster works like a God of Lencho .

5. Sketch the character of the Lencho .

Ans : The main character of the story is Lencho . His family and he lived on the crest of a low hill in a valley . He planted corn on the valley . But that corn needed some downpour or shower . As per Lencho's prediction a big drops of rain began to fall , but unfortunately this rain changed into hailstorm and destroyed all cornfield. The hail has left nothing . All their work for nothing . His family and he believed in god deeply. They thought only one hope : the help of God whose eyes , as he had been instructed , see everything , even what is deep in one's conscience . Lecho was an ox of a man working like an animal in the fields , but still he knew how to write . So he decided to write a letter addressed to god to ask for a hundred pesos. It needed him to sow his field again and to live until the crop comes.

6. Sketch the character of the postmaster .

Ans : The postmaster is a fat , amiable fellow of the story ' A Letter To God ' . After getting the letter adddressed to god , he laughed a lot , but immediately he turned serious and , tapping the letter on his desk and commented that what a faith Lencho had in god . He wished to keep that faith for Lencho . In order not to shake Lencho's faith in god , the postmaster came up an idea : answer the letter . But when he opened it , it was evident that to answer it he needed something more than goodwill , ink and paper . But he stuck to his resolution : he asked for money from employees , friends and he himself gave his part of salary and finally he sent seventy pesos to Lench. But he could not send the whole money that he requested in his letter .

7. Explain with reference to the context :

(a) '' These aren't raindrops falling from the sky , they are new coins . The big drops are ten cent pices and the little ones are fives . ''

Ans : The above sentence is taken from the lesson " A Letter To God " written by G.L. Fuentes .
Here the author wants to consider the raindrops as new coins . Lencho and his family planted crop in the valley . The field of ripe corn dotted with the flowers that always promised a good harvest. The only thing the earth needed was a downpour a least a shower . Therefore , throughout the morning lencho had seen the sky towards the north-east. As per Lencho's prediction big drops of rain began to fall . In the north-east huge mountains of clouds could be seen approaching . The air was fresh and sweet . Lencho went out for no other reason than to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body and commented that the raindrops are new coins . He considered that the big drops are ten cent pieces and the little ones are fives.

(b) '' ........ 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 will have no corn . ''

Ans :  The above sentence is taken from the lesson " A Letter To God " written by G.L. Fuentes .
Here the author is going to tell the sorrowful story after the destruction of Lencho's field by the hailstorm.
Lencho planted crop in his field in the valley . The field of ripe corn dotted with flowers that always promised a good harvest. The only thing the earth needed was a downpour or at least a shower so that he would get good harvest . He lived with his family on that valley . As per his prediction , a big drops of rain began to fall and his family and he felt very happy . He commented that the raindrops are ' new coins ' . But unfortunately a strong wind began to blow and along with the rain very large hailstone began to fall . He thought that it passes quickely . But it did not pass. For an hour the hail rained on the house , the garden , the hillside , the cornfield on the whole valley . The field was white , as if covered with salt . not a leaf remained on the trees . The flowers were gone from the plants . The corn was totally destroyed . 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 about the destruction of locusts on cornfield whose destruction is less than the halistorm did. (c) '' .... there was a single hope : help from God . ''

Ans : The above sentence is taken from the lesson " A Letter To God " written by G.L. Fuentes .
Here the author is going to express Lencho's hope and faith in god.
  Since Lencho's field was totally destroyed by the hailstorm and so , that year would have no corn . All their work , for nothing and there is no one who can help them .
But in the hearts of all who lived in that solitary house in the middle of the valley , there is a single hope : help from god. Lencho thought only of his one hope : the help of God whose eyes , as he he had been instructed ,see everything , even what is deep in one's conscience. Such a great faith Lencho had in God . In this difficult situation , Lencho told his family not to be so upset , even though the destruction seems like a total loss and called them that no one dies of hunger and his family also agreed to this statement.

(d) '' ...... if you don't help me , my family and I will go hungry this year .''

Ans : The above sentence is taken from the lesson " A Letter To God " written by G.L. Fuentes .
Here the author is going to say about the destruction of his cornfield and he requested god for a financial support.
  Since Lencho's field was totally destroyed by the hailstorm and so , that year would have no corn . All their work , for nothing and there is no one who can help them . Lencho thought only of his one hope : the help of God . He had a great faith in God . Lencho wrote in the letter addressed to God that if God does not help him , his family and he will go hungry that year .Therefore he needed a hundred pesos in order to sow his field again and to live until the crop comes . In the first letter , Lencho wanted to express his sorrowful story through this given statement .

(e) '' What faith ! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter . Starting up a correspondence with God .''

Ans : The above sentence is taken from the lesson " A Letter To God " written by G.L. Fuentes .
Here the author is going to express the postmaster's feeling who had shown the letter addressed to God written by Lencho .
Since Lencho's field was totally destroyed by the hailstorm and so , that year would have no corn . All their work , for nothing and there is no one who can help them . Lencho thought only of his one hope : the help of God . He had a great faith in God . He wrote the first letter to ask for a hundred pesos in order to sow his field again and to live until the crop comes. He wrote " To God ' on the envelope , put the letter inside and went to town . At the post office , he placed a stamp on the letter and dropped it into the mailbox.
One of the employees , who was a postman and also helped at the post office , went to his boss laughing heartily and showed him the letter to God. Never in his career as a postman had he known that address . The postmaster - a fat , amiable fellow - also broke out laughing , but almost immediately he turned serious and tapping the letter on his desk and commented the given line .

(f) '' It said : '' God : Of the money that I asked for , only seventy pesos reached me. Send me the rest , since I need it very much . But don't send it to me through the mail because the post office employees are a bunch of crooks . Lencho
.''
Ans : The above sentence is taken from the lesson ' A letter to god ' written by G.L Fuentes .
The author is going to express Lencho's feeling with word through the given line . In the second letter he wrote this line .
Since Lencho's field was totally destroyed by the hailstorm and so , that year would have no corn . All their work , for nothing and there is no one who can help them . Lencho thought only of his one hope : the help of God . He had a great faith in God . He wrote the second letter to ask for a hundred pesos in order to sow his field again and to live until the crop comes. But he had received only seventy pesos in stead of getting a hundred pesos. He became angry and thought that god could not have made a mistake , nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested . So he wrote the second letter to get the rest money . He thought that the employees at the post office had taken the other portion . So he requested god not to send the money through mail because as per Lencho the post employees are a bunch of crooks .

Word Meanings ( শব্দাৰ্থ) :

Valley = Low lying area at the bottom .(পাহাৰৰ নামনিত থকা সমতল অঞ্চল)
Crest= top of a hill.(পাহাৰৰ শিখৰ)
harvest= crop , yield (উৎপাদিত শস্য )
downpour= rain (বৰষুণ)
shower= mild rain (কলহৰ মুখে ঢলা বৰষুণ )
intimately= closely (ঘনিষ্ঠভাৱে)
supper= evening meal (সন্ধিয়াৰ আহাৰ)
predicted= forcast (পূৰ্বানুমান কৰা)
approaching= coming nearer in position (কাষ চাপি অহা)
cent= a monetary unit used in many countries (বহু দেশত ব্যৱহাৰ হোৱা মৌদ্ৰিক একক)
regarded= gazed at (থৰ লাগি চোৱা)
draped= covered with (কাপোৰেৰে ঢকা)
hailstones = small balls of ice that fall like rain৷ (বৰষুণৰ দৰে পৰা সৰু সৰু বৰফৰ পিণ্ড)
resemble = look like something (একে দেখা ব মিল থকা)
plague = any wide -spread and highly contagious disease (এবিধ সংক্ৰামক ৰোগ )
locusts = insects which fly in big swarms and destroy crops (জাক পাতি উতি আহি নষ্ট কৰা পতংগ)
sorrowful = filled with sorrow (দুখেৰে ভৰি পৰা)
solitary= lonely (অকলশৰীয়া)
upset = distressed (নিৰাশ হোৱা)
conscience = inner sense of right and wrong (বিবেক)
peso = currency of several Latin American countries (লেটিন আমেৰিকাৰ ,মুদ্ৰা)
sow = plant crops (শস্যৰ বীজ সিঁচা)
heartily = without restraint(প্ৰতিবন্ধতা নোহোৱাকৈ)
amiable = friendly and pleasant (বন্ধুত্বসুলভ)
tapping = striking and repeatedly (বাৰে বাৰে আৰু মৃদুভাৱে আঘাত কৰা)
correspondence = communication (যোগাযোগ)
evident = obvious , clear (স্পষ্ট)
goodwill = care , concern (যত্ন)
resolution = decision (সিদ্ধান্ত)
oblige = to bind by legal or moral means (বাধ্য কৰোৱা)
charity = help ( সহায়)
contenment = satisfaction (সন্তষ্টি)
deed = action (কাম)
denied = refused (অস্বীকাৰ কৰা)
wrinkling = crinkling up , folding (ভাঁজ কৰা)
affixed = attached (লগাই দিয়া )
crook = dishonest person . ( অসৎ মানুহ )

A LETTER TO GOD - G. L. FUENTES