Class 10 A Letter to God summary

The Hope, The Harvest, and The Devastating Storm

The story opens in a beautiful, isolated valley where our protagonist, a hard-working farmer named Lencho, lives with his family. His home stands alone on the crest of a low hill, offering a panoramic view of a winding river and extensive fields filled with ripe corn. The corn is filled with healthy blossoms, promising a prosperous yield.

The field only requires one last thing: a downpour or a light shower to finalize the ripening process. Tuning into his natural environment, Lencho spends his morning looking intently toward the northeast sky, anticipating the much-needed rain clouds.

During dinner, heavy drops of rain begin to fall precisely as Lencho predicted. Exhilarated by the downpour, he steps outside to experience the raindrops on his skin. In his joy, he employs a striking metaphor, comparing the raindrops to fresh currency notes: the large drops are ten-cent pieces and the smaller ones are fives.

Tragedy strikes unexpectedly. The gentle breeze suddenly turns into a furious wind accompanied by giant, destructive hailstones that mirror shiny silver coins. The severe storm ravages the valley for a full hour. The fields end up completely covered in white, appearing as though they were blanketed in salt. The destruction is total: not a leaf remains on the branches, the flowers are stripped away, and the corn crop is utterly demolished. Standing amidst the ruins, a heartbroken Lencho remarks that a swarm of destructive locusts would have spared more than what the hailstorm destroyed.

An Unshakable Faith & An Unusual Letter

Faced with absolute financial ruin and starvation, the family shares a islanded, driving motivation: unwavering hope in divine intervention. Lencho consoles his despairing family members with a simple, grounded outlook: “No one dies of hunger.”

Lencho is famously characterized as “an ox of a man,” highlighting his extreme endurance and capacity for intense physical labor in the fields. However, he is not uneducated; he knows how to read and write. His religious beliefs are profound; he views God as an all-knowing entity who sees directly into a person’s private conscience.

At daybreak on the following Sunday, Lencho decides to write an actual letter to God. He walks down to the town post office himself to ensure it is sent. In the text, he states his situation plainly: “God, if you don’t help me, my family and I will go hungry this year. I need a hundred pesos in order to sow my field again and to live until the crop comes, because the hailstorm…” He writes “To God” on the front of the envelope, applies a stamp, and drops it cleanly into the letterbox.

The Postmaster’s Kindness & The Ultimate Irony

Inside the post office, a mail carrier discovers the unique piece of mail addressed to God. Amused, he brings it directly to the Postmaster, who is described as a heavy, genial, and good-natured man. While the postmaster laughs initially, he quickly turns solemn, struck by the depth of the sender’s unclouded faith.

Desiring to protect Lencho’s rare confidence from breaking, the postmaster coordinates a charitable initiative to reply to the letter. Upon opening it, he notes that resolving the issue demands a large sum of money rather than simple words. Undeterred, he secures donations from his staff, contributes a major portion of his own salary, and collects funds from associates under the banner of charity.

Despite his dedicated actions, collecting the entire 100 pesos proves impossible. He puts together seventy pesos, places the money into an envelope addressed to Lencho, and signs it with a islanded, powerful word: GOD.

The following Sunday, Lencho returns to check for his mail. The postman hands him the envelope while the postmaster observes silently from behind his office door, feeling the quiet satisfaction of someone who has carried out an act of pure generosity. Lencho registers zero shock upon seeing the currency. However, upon counting the sum, his expression turns into intense anger. He believes God cannot commit calculation errors or reject a desperate request.

Lencho immediately goes to the service counter, secures paper and ink, and rapidly drafts a second letter on the public desk with heavily furrowed brows. He secures a stamp with his fist and deposits it into the mailbox. The moment he walks away, the postmaster opens the envelope. The message reads:

“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.”

Chapter Glossary & Important Phrases

This section contains both individual vocabulary words and the vital phrases and idioms used in the text which are frequently asked in CBSE extract-based board exam questions.

Key Word Meanings

Important Phrases & Expressions Explained