📘 Class 10 English Chapter 1 – A Letter to God Notes
Book: First Flight
Chapter: 1 – A Letter to God
Author: Gregorio López y Fuentes
Board: CBSE Class 10 (2025)
✍️ Introduction
“A Letter to God” is a powerful and emotional short story written by Gregorio López y Fuentes. It is the opening chapter of the CBSE Class 10 English textbook First Flight. The story highlights the deep faith of a poor farmer in God, along with the themes of kindness, irony, and human generosity. It is frequently asked in board exams, making it an essential chapter for revision and preparation.
📖 Summary of the Story
The story is set in a village where a poor farmer named Lencho lives. He is completely dependent on farming and is eagerly waiting for rainfall to help his crops grow. Finally, the rain arrives, but it quickly turns into a destructive hailstorm that destroys all of his crops.
Although devastated, Lencho doesn’t lose hope. He decides to write a letter to God asking for 100 pesos to replant his field and feed his family. His faith is so strong that he truly believes God will respond to his request.
When the postmaster reads the letter, he is surprised but deeply touched by Lencho’s faith. He decides to help and collects money from his colleagues. They manage to raise 70 pesos and send it anonymously to Lencho, signed “God.”
However, when Lencho receives the money, he becomes angry, assuming that God sent the full amount but the post office workers stole the rest. He writes a second letter to God, requesting that the rest of the money be sent through someone else because he believes the post office employees are “a bunch of crooks.”
🧠 Theme and Message
- Faith in God: Lencho's strong belief in divine help is at the core of the story.
- Human Kindness: The postmaster and his staff show the goodness of humanity by helping without recognition.
- Irony: Lencho misjudges the kind act and blames those who actually helped him.
🧾 Character Sketch
- Lencho: A poor, honest farmer with immense faith in God. He is innocent and unaware of the human effort made to help him.
- Postmaster: A helpful and compassionate man who secretly helps Lencho by collecting money for him.
📚 Word Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hailstones | Frozen balls of ice falling with rain |
| Downpour | Heavy rainfall |
| Crooks | Dishonest people |
| Amiable | Friendly and pleasant |
| Conscience | Sense of right and wrong |
❓ Important Questions and Answers
- Q1. Why did Lencho write a letter to God?
Ans: He wrote the letter after a hailstorm destroyed his crops, asking God for 100 pesos to help him survive and replant his field. - Q2. How did the postmaster react to Lencho’s letter?
Ans: The postmaster was touched by Lencho's faith and decided to help by collecting money from his colleagues. - Q3. What is the irony in the story?
Ans: Lencho blamed the post office employees for stealing the money, not realizing they were the ones who helped him. - Q4. What message does the story convey?
Ans: The story conveys that faith can inspire kindness, but also shows how assumptions can lead to misunderstanding.
📥 Download PDF Notes
👉 Click here to download PDF of A Letter to God Notes
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