If you are a CBSE Class 10 student and looking for easy and reliable notes then you are at right place. The first chapter of your First Flight textbook is A Letter to God from Class 10 English. This sets the tone for the year to come. This short but powerful story teaches you something profound about human faith, hope and innocence.
This chapter has a good weightage in board exams. Questions based on this story are frequently asked in short answer, long answer and MCQ type questions. Knowing it well can greatly improve your score. For better preparation, don’t forget to go over our comprehensive Class 10 English Notes and Class 10 NCERT Solutions.
Summary of A Letter to God Class 10 English
The story is set in a little house on top of a low mountain. Lencho was a very hard-working farmer. He was anxiously waiting for rain to save his crop of maize. the rain comes but soon it turns into a violent hailstorm. It takes only minutes to destroy the entire crop. There is nothing more for Lencho and his family.
Lencho is a man of strong faith in God. He decides to write to God to ask for a hundred pesos. so he can replant his fields and make it to the next harvest. He walks to the post office and drops the letter in the mail slot without a second thought.
The postman finds the letter both touching and funny. He showed it to the postmaster. The simple faith of Lencho touches the postmaster. He makes the decision to collect funds from his friends and coworkers in order to assist this man who had a strong belief in God.
But the postmaster could scrape together only seventy pesos, not a hundred. He places the money in an envelope and sends it to Lencho. When Lencho receives the envelope he is not at all grateful. Instead he is mad. He believes God sent the full amount but the post office employees stole some of it. He immediately writes another letter to God, asking Him not to send money through the mail next time, because the post office workers are “a bunch of crooks.”
The story ends on this ironic note leaving the reader both smiling and thinking.
Main Characters
| Character | Role |
| Lencho | A simple, hard-working farmer with deep faith in God |
| The Postmaster | A kind-hearted official who organizes help for Lencho |
| Lencho’s Wife | A supportive figure who stands by her husband during the crisis |
| Post Office Employees | They contribute money to help Lencho, yet get blamed by him |
Important Themes
| Theme | Meaning |
| Faith in God | Lencho’s unquestioning belief drives the entire story forward |
| Irony | The helpers are called thieves — the story’s sharpest twist |
| Innocence | Lencho’s simplicity makes him both admirable and comical |
| Human Kindness | The postmaster’s act shows how compassion works in real life |
Important Questions and Answers for Class 10 English A Letter to God
Q1. What was Lencho’s primary concern, and who was he?
Living on a low mountain, Lencho was a farmer. He was concerned about his maize crop and needed rain badly in order to get a good crop.
Q2. What happened to Lencho’s crop and how did it affect his family?
A hailstorm destroyed his entire crop in minutes. His family was left with no food and no money for the coming year.
Q3. Why was Lencho writing a letter to God?
Lencho had complete faith in God. He believed God would help him, so he wrote asking for one hundred pesos to replant his fields and survive until the next harvest.
Q4. How did the postmaster respond to Lencho’s letter?
The postmaster was deeply moved by Lencho’s faith. He collected seventy pesos from his staff and friends and sent it to Lencho in God’s name.
Q5. When Lencho got the money, why was he upset?
Lencho thought the entire hundred pesos had been sent by God. Since only seventy arrived, he assumed the post office employees had stolen the rest, and he wrote another letter complaining about it.
Literary Devices
| Device | Example from the Chapter |
|---|---|
| Irony | And the man that was helped calls the kind helpers thieves.” |
| Personification | Lencho compares the raindrops to new coins |
| Simile | The hailstones are described as frozen pearls |
| Metaphor | The locusts are used as a metaphor for total destruction |
| Foreshadowing | The hopeful rain that becomes a storm is a hint at life’s uncertainties. |
Moral of Class 10 English A Letter to God
The story beautifully illustrates how blind faith, without awareness, can sometimes lead to ingratitude. Lencho’s faith in God is so strong and pure that it is admirable. But as sad is that he cannot see the kindness of real human beings around him”.
The deeper moral is that God often works through people. In this story the angels were the postmaster and his crew. Real faith should open our eyes to human goodness, not close them.
Exam Preparation Tips for Class 10 English A Letter to God
- Describe Lencho’s character in detail – board exams love this question.
- Learn the irony of the story clearly; it is the most asked concept.
- Practise the short summary in your own words — keep it under 150 words for board answers.
- Use our Class 10 Important Questions page to practise all likely board questions.
- Take the Class 10 MCQ Test to check how well you remember the details. FAQs About Class 10 English A Letter to God
Q: What is the central idea of A Letter to God?
A: The story revolves around a farmer’s unshakeable faith in God and the irony of human kindness going unrecognized.
A Letter to God was written by whom?
A: The story was written by G.L. Fuentes, a Mexican author. It is translated into English for the CBSE textbook.
Q: What is the irony in A Letter to God?
A: The post office employees who collected money to help Lencho are called thieves by him — that is the central irony of the story.
Q: Is A Letter to God important for board exams?
A: Yes, very much. Questions on summary, character, themes, and literary devices from this chapter appear regularly in CBSE board exams.
Q: How many pesos did Lencho ask for and how much did he receive?
A: Lencho asked for one hundred pesos but received only seventy, as the postmaster could not gather the full amount.
Conclusion
Class 10 English A Letter to God is a short story with a lasting impact. It makes you think about faith, kindness, and the funny ways in which life works. Whether you find Lencho foolish or admirable, you cannot forget his story.
If you enjoyed studying this chapter, you will also love reading about Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and The Thief’s Story — two other powerful stories in your syllabus. For official syllabus details, always refer to CBSE’s official website and download your textbook directly from NCERT.
Keep studying smart, and good luck with your board exams!