A Letter to God

Answer the following questions briefly:

Q.1. Why does Lencho write a letter to God? What does he experience?
Ans. Lencho’s corn crop had been totally destroyed by the hailstorm. Lencho writes a letter to God asking
him to help with a hundred pesos so that he can sow his field again and live until the new crop comes. He
puts this letter in an envelope and addresses the envelope “To God”. He experiences an extreme sense of
relief and satisfaction on posting the letter because he had been told that God helps innocent people in
distress. So, he feels quite confident that God will not turn down his request and will certainly help him in
his hour of crisis.
Q.2. Why did the postmaster send a letter of reply to Lencho?
Ans. The postmaster was very impressed and touched by Lencho’s sincere faith in God. He wished he too
had that kind of faith. So, in order to reconfirm and not to shake Lencho’s faith in God he decided to
answer the letter.
Q.3. How did the post office employees help Lencho? How did Lencho react to their help?
Ans. The post office employees received an unusual letter addressed to God. In order not to shake the
faith of the writer of the letter, they collected 70 pesos and sent it to Lencho. Lencho was not at all
surprised when he got the money. On receiving 70 pesos, he became angry and blamed the post office
employees for the shortfall of 30 pesos. He was sure that God had sent the 100 pesos he had asked for,
and thought the post office employees to be a bunch of crooks.
Q.4. ‘Sympathy and kindness are human virtues’. Write a character sketch of the postmaster with
reference to these human virtues.
Ans. The postmaster is a genuine and God-loving man. He is amazed to read Lencho’s letter and even
more amazed at Lencho’s abundant faith in God. Being a kind person he does not want to shake the
writer’s faith in God. The postmaster is also a man who sticks to his decision so he is able to collect
money for Lencho’s help. Since he commands the respect of his juniors and friends they too feel obliged
to give him money for an act of charity.
Q.5. In the lesson ‘A Letter to God’, what moral values does the postmaster display in his behaviour?
Ans. The postmaster was very impressed and touched by Lencho’s sincere faith in God. In order to
reconfirm and not to shake Lencho’s faith he decided to answer the letter. He is amazed to read Lencho’s
letter and even more amazed at Lencho’s abundant faith in God. The postmaster is thus a very genuine,
empathetic and soft hearted man. The postmaster is also a man who sticks to his resolutions so he is able
to collect money for Lencho’s help. Since he commands the respect of his juniors and friends they too feel
obliged to give him money for an act of charity. He is a generous person and tries to perceive others in a
more positive light.
Q.6. Why did Lencho seek help from God? Who received the letter? What did he do?
Or
‘Faith can move mountains.’ What did the postmaster do in order not to break Lencho’s faith in God.
Explain.
Or,
What was the letter to God about? How much did it serve Lencho’s purpose?
Ans. When Lencho’s crop was totally destroyed by the hail, he being a simple-hearted person who had
abundant faith in God, started a correspondence with Him. In a letter he asked God to send him a hundred
pesos to enable him to sow his field again and live until the new crop came. This envelope which was
addressed “To God” greatly intrigued a postman and so he took the envelope containing the letter to the
postmaster. After reading the letter the postmaster was highly impressed and touched by Lencho’s faith in
God. So, in order to cement Lencho’s faith in God, the postmaster decided to collect money and send it to
Lencho. He was able to collect only seventy pesos. He put this money in an envelope along with a letter
containing the sender’s signature ‘God’, and sent it to Lencho.
Q.14. Describe the character of Lencho in the light of his faith and attitude towards God and man.
Or
“I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter.” Describe Lencho’s character is the light of this
statement. Is such devout faith in God possible in today’s practical life?
Ans. Lencho being a very simple person started a correspondence with God so that he would help him
and make sure that he and his family would not starve. He had an abundant faith in God and therefore
with great confidence he directly appealed to God for help. As for his opinion regarding men, Lencho
considers them dishonest and deceitful. He does not hesitate to write about his contemptuous attitude
towards men in his letter to God and he calls the men at the post-office a bunch of crooks. He knew that
God helps innocent people in distress and therefore does not hesitate in approaching him directly for help
and neither is he bewildered when he does receive a letter signed by God. Faith is an expression of hope
for something better. In today’s practical world of cut-throat competition and demanding lives, such
strong faith in God and one’s own self is extremely necessary. It motivates us to be positive and be
successful in what we do.