HBSE 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Chapter 1 A Letter to God

Haryana State Board HBSE 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Chapter 1 A Letter to God Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.

Haryana Board 10th Class English Solutions First Flight Chapter 1 A Letter to God

HBSE 10th Class English A Letter to God Textbook Questions and Answers

Before You Read

They say faith can move mountains. But what should we put our faith in ? This is the question this story delicately poses.

Lencho is a farmer who writes a letter to God when his crops are ruined, asking for a hundred pesos. Does Lencho’s letter reach God ? Does God send him the money ? Think what your answers to these questions would be, and guess how the story continues, before you begin to read it.
Answer:
Lencho’s letter does not reach God. God does not live at any specific place. He is everywhere. But he is also affected by man’s deep faith in Him. Lencho’s prayer reaches him and he fulfils Lencho’s wish through the employees of the post offices.

Activity

1. One of the cheapest ways to send money to someone is through the post office. Have you ever sent or received money in this way ? Here’s what you have to do. (As you read the instructions, discuss with your teacher in class the meanings of these words: counter, counter clerk, appropriate, acknowledgement, counterfoil, record. Consult a dictionary if necessary. Are there words corresponding to these English words in your languages ?)

Answer:
For discussion at class level.

2. Fill out the Money Order form given below using the clues that follow the form.

• Think about who you will send the money to, and how much. You might want to send money for a magazine subscription, or to a relative or a friend.
• Or you may fill out the form with yourself as sender and your partner as receiver. Use a part of your pocket money, and submit the form at the nearest post office to see how it’s done. See how your partner enjoys getting money by post!
• Notice that the form has three parts–the Money Order form, the part for official use and the Acknowledgement. What would you write in the ‘Space for Communication”?

Now complete the following statements.

(i) In addition to the sender, the form has to be signed by the ………………………………..
(ii) The ‘Acknowledgement’ section of the form is sent back by the post office to the …………………. after the ……………………………… signs it.
(iii) The ‘Space for Communication’ section is used for ………
(iv) The form has six sections. The sender needs to fill out ……………………………… sections and the receiver……………..
Answer:

Answer:
(i) receiver, (ii) sender, receiver, (iii) writing messages, etc., (iv) first, fourth and sixth; third.

Oral Comprehension Check (Page 5)

1. What did Lencho hope for ?
(लैंचो किस बारे में आशावान था ?)
Answer:
Lencho hoped that it would rain soon and his crop of corn would be saved. (लैंचो को आशा थी कि जल्दी ही वर्षा होगी और उसकी मक्के की फसल बच जाएगी।)

2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like “new coins’ ?
(लैंचो वर्षा की बूंदों को ‘नए सिक्के’ क्यों कहता है ?)
Answer:
He said this because his crop needed rain to be a good harvest. Good harvest was like money to him. So when it rained he saw the raindrops in the form of ‘new coins’.
(उसने ऐसा इसलिए कहा क्योंकि उसकी अच्छी फसल के लिए वर्षा की बहुत आवश्यकता थी। अच्छी फसल उसके लिए धन के समान थी। अतः जब वर्षा हुई तो उसने वर्षा की बूंदों को ‘नए सिक्कों’ के रूप में देखा।)

3. How did the rain change ? What happened to Lencho’s fields? (वर्षा कैसे बदली? लैंचो के खेतों का क्या हुआ ?)
Answer:
The rain changed into a hailstorm. Hails fell on the house, the garden, the hillside, the cornfield and the whole valley. The hails destroyed Lencho’s crop completely. . (वर्षा ओलों के एक तूफान में परिवर्तित हो गई। घर के ऊपर, बगीचे में, पहाड़ी के आस-पास, मक्के के खेत में और पूरी घाटी में ओलों की वर्षा हुई। ओलों ने लैंचो की फसल को पूर्णतया नष्ट कर दिया।)

4. What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped ? (जब ओलों की वर्षा रुकी तो लैंचो के मन में क्या विचार थे ?)
Answer:
Lencho felt completely broken. The hail had left nothing. He felt that he would have no corn that year and his family would go hungry that year.
(लैंचो पूर्ण रूप से टूट चुका था। ओलों ने कुछ भी नहीं छोड़ा था। वह सोच रहा था कि उस वर्ष उसकी मक्के की फसल · बिल्कुल भी नहीं होगी और उस वर्ष उसका परिवार भूखा रहेगा।)

Oral Comprehension Check (Page 6)

1. Who or what did Lencho have faith in ? What did he do?
(लैंचो का किसमें विश्वास था ? उसने क्या किया ?)
Answer:
Lencho had great faith in God. He felt that God would help him. So he wrote a letter to God for money.
(लैंचो का भगवान में बहुत अधिक विश्वास था। उसे लगता था कि भगवान उसकी मदद करेंगे। इसलिए उसने धन के लिए भगवान को पत्र लिखा।)

2. Who read the letter ? (पत्र किसने पढ़ा ?)
Answer:
The postmaster read Lencho’s letter to God.
(डाकपाल ने लैंचो के भगवान के नाम पत्र को पढ़ा।)

3. What did the postmaster do then ?
(तब डाकपाल ने क्या किया ?)
Answer:
The postmaster decided that Lencho’s faith in God must not be shaken. He collected about seventy pesos and sent the money to Lencho.
(डाकपाल ने निर्णय लिया कि भगवान में लैंचो के विश्वास को डगमगाने नहीं देना चाहिए। उसने लगभग सत्तर पीसोज एकत्र किए और धन लैंचो को भेज दिया।)

Oral Comprehension Check (Page 7)

1. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it ?
(क्या लैंची धन के साथ अपने लिए एक पत्र पाकर हैरान था ?)
Answer:
No, Lencho was not surprised to find a letter for him with money in it. It was because he had great faith in God. He was sure that God would help him.
(नहीं, लैंचो धन के साथ अपने लिए एक पत्र पाकर हैरान नहीं था। ऐसा इसलिए था क्योंकि उसका भगवान में बहुत अधिक विश्वास था। उसे यकीन था कि भगवान अवश्य ही उसकी मदद करेंगे।)

2. What made him angry?
(उसे क्रोध क्यों आया. ?)
Answer:
Lencho had requested God to send him one hundred pesos. But he found only seventy pesos in the letter. He thought that the post office employees had taken his thirty pesos. This made him angry.
(लैंचो ने भगवान से प्रार्थना की थी कि उसे एक सौ पीसोज भेज दे। लेकिन पत्र में उसे केवल सत्तर पीसोज ही मिले थे। उसने सोचा कि उसके तीस पीसोज डाकघर के कर्मचारियों ने ले लिए थे। इससे वह क्रोधित हो गया।)

Thinking about the Text

Question 1.
Who does Lencho have complete faith in ? Which sentences in the story tell you this ?
(लैंचो का किसमें पूर्ण विश्वास है ? कहानी में कौन-से वाक्य आपको इसके बारे में बताते हैं ?)
Answer:
Lencho has complete faith in God. The sentences which tell us about his faith are : “All through the night, Lencho thought only of his one hope : the help of God, whose eyes … see everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience.” .
(लैंचो का भगवान में पूर्ण विश्वास है। जो वाक्य उसके विश्वास के बारे में बताते हैं वे हैं : “सारी रात से लैंचो अपनी केवल मात्र एक ही आशा के बारे में सोचता रहा; भगवान की मदद, जिसकी नजरें सब कुछ देखती हैं, यहाँ तक कि किसी के मन की गहराइयों में क्या छुपा है उसे भी।”)

Question 2.
Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho ? Why does he sign the letter God’ ?
(डाकपाल लैंचो को धन क्यों भेजता है? वह पत्र पर ‘भगवान’ के हस्ताक्षर क्यों करता है ?)
Answer:
The postmaster is moved by Lencho’s unfailing faith in God. He doesn’t want to shatter his faith. In order to keep Lencho’s faith intact, he signs the letter ‘God’.
(डाकपाल लैंचो के भगवान के प्रति अटूट प्यार से बहुत प्रभावित हुआ। वह उसके विश्वास को भंग नहीं करना चाहता था। अतः भगवान में लैंचो के विश्वास की रक्षा करने के लिए वह पत्र पर भगवान के हस्ताक्षर करता है।)

Question 3.
Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him ? Why/Why not?
(क्या लैंचो ने यह पता लगाने का प्रयास किया कि उसे धन किसने भेजा था ? क्यों/क्यों नहीं ?)
Answer:
Lencho had complete faith in God. He requested God for money and got it. So he assumed that God had sent the money. So, he didn’t bother about the sender.
(लैंचो का भगवान में पूर्ण विश्वास था। उसने भगवान से धन के लिए प्रार्थना की और धन प्राप्त कर लिया। इसलिए उसने मान लिया कि धन भगवान ने ही भेजा था। इसलिए वह धन भेजने वाले को लेकर चिंतित नहीं था।)

Question 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.)
(लैंचो के विचार में शेष धन किसने ले लिया है ? स्थिति की विडंबना क्या है (याद रखें कि स्थिति की विडंबना एक अप्रत्याशित पहलू को कहते हैं। एक विडंबनापूर्ण स्थिति विचित्र और रोमांचकारी होती है, क्योंकि यह प्रत्याशित के बिल्कुल विपरीत होती है ?)
Answer:
Lencho requests God for one hundred pesos. But he gets only seventy pesos. He believes that God cannot commit an error. So he thinks that the rest of the money has been kept by the post office officials. The irony in the situation is that the post office officials take pity on Lencho and contribute money to be sent to him. Yet Lencho calls them a bunch of crooks’.
(लैंचो भगवान से एक सौ पीसोज के लिए प्रार्थना करता है। लेकिन उसे केवल सत्तर पीसोज मिलते हैं। वह मानता है कि भगवान गलती नहीं कर सकता। इसलिए वह सोचता है कि शेष धन डाकघर के कर्मचारियों के द्वारा रख लिया गया है। इस स्थिति की विडंबना यह है कि डाकघर के कर्मचारी लैंचो पर दया करके उसे भेजा जाने वाला धन इकट्ठा करते हैं। फिर भी लैंचो उन्हें ‘भ्रष्ट लोगों की टोली’ कहकर संबोधित करता है।)

Question 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

(क्या लैंचो जैसे लोग वास्तविक संसार में पाए जाते हैं ? आपके विचार में वह किस किस्म का आदमी है ? आप प्रश्न का उत्तर देने के लिए नीचे बने खाने में उपयुक्त शब्द चुन सकते हैं।)

लालची
धूर्त
मूर्ख
कृतघ्न
स्वार्थी
मजाकिया
तर्क रहित ।
Answer:
There are people in the world who have complete faith in God. But Lencho is very simple-minded. . He thinks that God has sent him money through the post office. In the modern world, there are few no people like Lencho who write letters to God and think that the letter will reach Him.
(संसार में ऐसे लोग तो हैं जो भगवान पर पूर्ण विश्वास रखते हैं। लेकिन लैंचो बहुत ही सरल हृदय वाला है। वह सोचता है कि भगवान ने उसे धन डाकघर के कर्मचारियों के माध्यम से भेजा है। आधुनिक संसार में, लैंचो जैसे लोग नहीं पाए जाते हैं जो भगवान को पत्र लिखते हैं और सोचते हैं कि पत्र भगवान को मिल जाएगा।)

Question 6.
There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated ?
(कहानी में दो प्रकार के द्वंद्व दिए गए हैं; मनुष्य और प्रकृति के बीच तथा मनुष्यों के स्वयं अपने बीच। इन द्वंदों पर कैसे प्रकाश डाला गया है ?)
Answer:
The conflict between the humans and nature is illustrated in the form of hailstorm which destroys Lencho’s crop. The other conflict is illustrated by Ļencho’s belief that the post office employees are a bunch of crooks. He thinks that the employees have taken a part of the money sent by God to him.
(मनुष्यों और प्रकृति के बीच द्वंद्व को ओलौ के तूफान रूप में दर्शाया गया है जोकि लैंचो की फसल को तबाह कर देता है। दूसरे द्वंद्व का वर्णन लैंचो के उस विचार में प्रकाशित होता है कि डाकघर के कर्मचारी भ्रष्ट लोगों की एक टोली है। वह सोचता है कि इन कर्मचारियों ने भगवान द्वारा उसे भेजे गए धन के एक भाग को अपने पास रख लिया है।)

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 a 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 to help you.

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 a 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____
Answer:

1. cyclone,
2. gale,
3. typhoon,
4. tornado,
5. hurricane,
6. 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 meanings of ‘hope’ in Column B.

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

Answer:

A	B
1. Will you get the subjects you want to study in college? I hope so.	a feeling that something good will probably happen
2. I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but I don’t like the way you are arguing.	thinking that this would happen (It may or may not have happened.)
3. This discovery will give new hope to HIV/AIDS sufferers.	showing concern that what you say should not offend or disturb the other person: a way of being polite
4. We were hoping 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.	wanting something to happen (and thinking it quite possible)
6. Just when everybody had given up hope, the fishermen 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 information about Lencho and the woman. We call them relative clauses. Notice 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, because we already know the identity of the person they describe. Lencho is a particular person, and there is a particular woman he speaks 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 the story). 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 our 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 crest 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 relative pronoun which and the verb was are not present
Answer:

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 our minds.
5. This man whom I trusted cheated me.

IV. Using Negatives 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 are 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 out for no other reàson than to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body. (He had only this reason)
(f) Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money. (He showed no surprise x`at all)
Now look back at example (c). Notice that the contradiction in fact serves to emphasise 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.
Answer:
1. Not a leaf remained 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 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

Answer:

Object	Metaphor	Quality or Feature Compared
Cloud	Huge mountains of clouds	The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains
Raindrops	Coins, new silver coins	Crop and its being very good
Hailstones	frozen pearls	destruction of the crop
Locusts	A plague	An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and leaves many people dead
Lencho	An ox of a man

Speaking

Have you ever been in great difficulty, and felt that only a miracle could help you ? How was your problem solved ? Speak about this in class with your teacher.
Answer:
For discussion at the class level.

Listening

Listen to the letter (given under ‘In This Lesson’) read out by your teacher/on the audio tape. As you listen fill in the table given below.

The writer apologises (says sorry) because
The writer has sent this to the reader
The writer sent it in the month of
The reason for not writing earlier
Sarah goes to
Who is writing to whom?
Where and when were they last together?

Answer:
Mainly to be attempted at class level with the help of the teacher. The appropriate answers are given below :

The writer apologises (says sorry) because	she has not written to Arti for a very long time.
The writer has sent this to the reader	a birthday card.
The writer sent it in the month of	September, 2005.
The reason for not writing earlier	was that the writer was shifting from Bangalore to Kanpur.
Sarah goes to	a primary school called “Little Feet’.
Who is writing to whom?	Jaya is writing to Arti.
Where and when were they last together?	They were at Bangalore.

Writing

Lencho suffered first due to drought and then by floods. Our country is also facing such situations in the recent years. There is flood and there is drought. There is a need to save water through water harvesting. Design a poster for your area on how to save water during summer and when it is available in excess.
Answer:

HBSE 10th Class English A Letter to God Important Questions and Answers

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Where was ‘the house’ located ?
Answer:
“The House’ was located on the top of a low hill.

Question 2.
Why do you think it is called ‘the house and not ‘a house’?
Answer:
It is called ‘the house and not ‘a house’ because it was the only house in the entire valley.

Question 3.
Why did Lencho keep gazing at the sky ?
Answer:
Lencho kept gazing at the sky because he wished for rain.

Question 4.
How did Lencho feel when it started raining ?
Answer:
Lencho felt very happy.

Question 5.
What was the effect of the rain on the crops ?
Answer:
His crops were destroyed because of the rain and the storm.

Question 6.
Lencho had only one hope. What was it?
Answer:
Lencho’s only hope was help from God.

Question 7.
Who was Lencho?
Answer:
Lencho was a hard-working farmer.

Question 8.
What had Lencho been doing throughout the morning ?
Answer:
He had been looking at the clouds in the north-east throughout the morning.

Question 9.
What does Lencho call the rain-drops ?
Answer:
He calls the big rain-drops ten cent pesos and the small rain-drops five cent pesos.

Question 10.
How did Lencho’s field look after the hails had rained ?
Answer:
The field looked as if covered with salt.

Question 11.
What was the effect of the hail storm on the valley ?
Answer:
No crop or vegetation was left in the entire valley.

Question 12.
Who did Lencho write a letter to ?
Answer:
Lencho wrote a letter to God.

Question 13.
How much money did Lencho receive from God ?
Answer:
He received only seventy pesos from God.

Question 14.
How did Lencho feel when he counted the money in the envelope ?
Answer:
He got angry after counting the money in the envelope.

Question 15.
Who does Lencho blame for the loss of thirty pesos in the envelope ?
Answer:
He blames the post-office employees for this loss.

Question 16.
What does Lencho call the post-office employees ? Or How did Lencho describe the post-office employees ?
Answer:
He calls them “a bunch of crooks.”

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
“Now we’re really going to get some water, woman.” Is Lencho sure that it is going to rain ? Give a reason for your answer.
(“अब हमें सचमुच बरसात प्राप्त होने जा रही है, औरत” क्या लैंचो को विश्वास है कि बरसात होने वाली है। अपने उत्तर के लिए कारण बताओ।)
Answer:
Yes, Lencho is sure that it is going to rain. He needs rain for his crops. He has been gazing at the sky since morning. He has perhaps seen some signs of coming rain. True to his prediction, it soon starts raining.
(हाँ, लैंचो को विश्वास है कि बरसात होने वाली है। उसे अपनी फसलों के लिए बरसात की आवश्यकता है। वह सुबह से आकाश को देखे जा रहा है। शायद उसने आने वाली बरसात के चिह्न देखे हैं। उसकी भविष्यवाणी सच्ची होती है और शीघ्र ही बरसात होने लगती है।)

Question 2.
What are the rain drops compared to and why? (बरसात की बूंदों की तुलना किससे और क्यों की गई है ?)
Answer:
It starts raining. Lencho is very happy. He compares the big drops of rain to ten-cent pieces and the little ones to five-cent pieces. Lencho needs rain for good harvest. If he has good crops, he will get money. That is why he compares the rain drops to coins.
(बरसात होने लगती है। लैंचो बहुत प्रसन्न है। वह बरसात की बड़ी बूंदों की तुलना दस सैंट के सिक्कों से करता है और छोटी बूंदों की तुलना पाँच सैंट के सिक्कों से करता है। लैंचो को अच्छी फसल के लिए बरसात की जरूरत है। अगर उसकी फसल अच्छी होगी तो उसे पैसा मिलेगा। इसलिए वह बरसात की बूंदों की तुलना सिक्कों से करता है।)

Question 3.
Did the letter reach God ? Why did the postmaster sent a reply to Lencho?
(क्या पत्र भगवान तक पहुँचा ? पोस्टमास्टर ने उसका उत्तर क्यों दिया ?)
Answer:
No, the letter did not reach God. The postman saw the letter addressed to God. He took the letter to the postmaster. The postmaster did not want to shake Lencho’s faith in God. So he sent a reply to Lencho. He sent seventy pesos to him.
(नहीं, पत्र भगवान तक नहीं पहुंचा। डाकिए ने भगवान को संबोधित पत्र देखा। वह पत्र को पोस्टमास्टर के पास ले गया। पोस्टमास्टर लैंचो की भगवान में आस्था को हिलाना नहीं चाहता था। इसलिए उसने लैंचों को उत्तर दिया। उसने उसे सत्तर पीसोस भेजे।)

Question 4.
Why was Lencho angry when he received the letter ?
(जब लैंचो को पत्र मिला तो वह नाराज क्यों हो गया ?)
Answer:
Lencho had asked God to send him a hundred pesos. But when he opened the envelope he found only seventy pesos in it. He thought that the post-office employees had taken the rest of the money. So he became angry when he received the letter.
(लैंचो ने भगवान से कहा था कि वह उसे एक सौ पीसोस भेजें। मगर जब उसने लिफाफा खोला तो उसमें केवल सत्तर पीसोस थे। उसने सोचा कि डाकघर के कर्मचारियों ने बाकी के पैसे ले लिए होंगे। इसलिए जब उसे पत्र मिला तो वह नाराज हो गया।)

Question 5.
Lencho describes the post office employees as “a bunch of crooks.”
(i) Were they a bunch of crooks ?
(ii) How would you describe them ?
(लैंचो डाकघर के कर्मचारियों को ‘ठगों की टोली’ कहता है।) (i) क्या वे ठगों की टोली थे ?
(iii) आप उनका वर्णन कैसे करेंगे ?
Answer:
Lencho thought that the post office employees had cheated him. So he calls them “a bunch of crooks.” But they were not crooks. They were kind persons. They wanted to help Lencho. So they collected seventy pesos and sent the money to Lencho by mail.
(लैंचो ने सोचा कि डाकघर के कर्मचारियों ने उसे धोखा दिया है। इसलिए वह उन्हें ‘ठगों की टोली’ कहता है। मगर वे ठग नहीं थे। वे दयालु व्यक्ति थे। वे लैंचो की सहायता करना चाहते थे। इसलिए उन्होंने सत्तर पीसोस इकट्ठे किए और वह पैसा लैंचो को डाक से भेजा।)

Essay Type Question

Question 1.
Why did Lencho write a letter to God ? Who received the letter and what did he do?
Or
(लैंचो ने भगवान को पत्र क्यों लिखा? पत्र किसे मिला और उसने क्या किया?)
Why did Lencho write a letter to God? Did he get any help? If yes, by whom?
(लैंचो ने भगवान को पत्र क्यों लिखा? क्या उसे कोई सहायता मिली? यदि हाँ, तो किससे?)
Answer:
Lencho was a hard-working farmer. He was expecting a good harvest. But unfortunately, a hailstorm came and destroyed his crop completely. Now he had nothing to support the family. He had no money to purchase the seed for sowing. But he had a firm faith in God. He believed that God would help him. He was a simple man. He wrote a letter to God. He asked God to send him a hundred pesos. He wanted this money in order to sow seed again and to live until the next harvest season.
Lencho went to the town and posted the letter. At the post-office, a postman took out the letter from the letter box. He read the address on it and had a good laugh. He showed the letter to the postmaster. The postmaster was greatly impressed by the faith of Lencho. He did not want to shake Lencho’s faith in God. He collected money from his employees. He put this money into an envelope and addressed it to Lencho.
(लैंचो एक मेहनती किसान था। उसे अच्छी फसल की आशा थी। मगर दुर्भाग्यवश, ओलों का तूफान आया और उसकी फसल को पूरी तरह नष्ट कर गया। अब उसके पास परिवार को सहारा देने को कुछ नहीं था। उसके पास बिजाई के लिए बीज खरीदने के पैसे नहीं थे। मगर उसे भगवान में पक्का विश्वास था। उसका विश्वास था कि भगवान उसकी सहायता करेंगे। वह एक सादा व्यक्ति था। उसने भगवान को एक पत्र लिखा। उसने भगवान से कहा कि वह उसे सौ पीसोस भेजें। उसे यह पैसा बीज बोने और अगली फसल तक जीवित रहने के लिए चाहिए था।

लैंचो शहर गया और उसने पत्र डाक में डाल दिया। डाकघर में एक डाकिए ने लैटर बॉक्स से पत्र निकाला। उसने इस पर लिखा पता पढ़ा और बहुत हँसा। उसने पत्र पोस्टमास्टर को दिखाया। पोस्टमास्टर लैंचो की आस्था से बहुत प्रभावित हुआ। वह इस आस्था को डिगाना नहीं चाहता था। उसने अपने कर्मचारियों से धन इकट्ठा किया। उसने इस पैसे को एक लिफाफे में डाला और उस पर लैंचो का पता लिख दिया।)

Question 2.
(i) What did the postmaster need to answer the letter ? How did he collect it ?
(पोस्टमास्टर को लैंचो के पत्र का उत्तर देने के लिए किस चीज की आवश्यकता थी ? उसने इसे कैसे इकट्ठा किया?)
(ii) How did Lencho react to the help?
(लैंचो ने सहायता मिलने पर क्या प्रतिक्रिया की?) Or
Why and how did the postmaster and post office employees help Lencho ? What was Lencho’s reaction ?
(पोस्टमास्टर और डाकघर के कर्मचारियों ने लैंचो की सहायता क्यों और कैसे की? लैंचो की क्या प्रतिक्रिया थी?
Answer:
(i) Lencho’s crop had been destroyed. He needed God’s help. So he wrote a letter to God. He posted the letter. At the post-office a postman took the letter out of the letter box. He laughed on reading the address. He showed the letter to the postmaster. The postmaster also laughed. But he praised Lencho’s firm faith in God. He did not want to shake this faith. He was very kind. He decided to help Lencho. He and the post-office employees collected some money. The postmaster gave a part of his salary. They put the money into an envelope and addressed it to Lencho.
(ii) The next Sunday Lencho came to the post-office. He asked if there was any letter for him. The postman gave him the envelope. Lencho opened the letter. He found that the money was less than what he had requested for. He thought that God could not have made a mistake. He wrote another letter to God. He asked God to send him the rest of the money. But he should not send it through the mail as the post-office employees were a bunch of crooks.
(i) (लैंचो की फसल नष्ट हो गई थी। उसे भगवान की सहायता की आवश्यकता थी। इसलिए उसने भगवान को पत्र लिखा। उसने पत्र को डाक में डाला। डाकघर में एक डाकिए ने लैटर बॉक्स से पत्र निकाला। वह पता पढ़कर हँसने लगा। उसने पत्र पोस्टमास्टर को दिखाया। पोस्टमास्टर भी हँसा। मगर उसने लैंचो की भगवान में दृढ़ आस्था के लिए तारीफ की। वह इस आस्था को डिगाना नहीं चाहता था। वह एक दयालु व्यक्ति था। उसने लैंचो की सहायता करने का फैसला किया। उसने एवं डाकघर के कर्मचारियों ने कुछ पैसा इकट्ठा किया। पोस्टमास्टर ने अपने वेतन का कुछ भाग दिया। उन्होंने पैसे को लिफाफे में डाला और इस पर लैंचो का पता लिख दिया।
(ii) अगले रविवार को लैंचो डाकघर में आया। उसने पूछा कि क्या उसके लिए कोई पत्र आया है। डाकिए ने उसे लिफाफा दे दिया। लैंचो ने पत्र खोला। उसने देखा कि राशि उस द्वारा माँगी गई राशि से कम है। उसने सोचा कि भगवान तो गलती नहीं कर सकते। उसने भगवान को दूसरा पत्र लिखा। उसने भगवान से कहा कि वह उसे बाकी की राशि भी भेज दें। मगर वह इसे डाक से न भेजें क्योंकि डाकघर के कर्मचारी ठगों का टोला हैं।)

Question 3.
How do you think the postmaster felt when he received Lencho’s second letter ? What do you think he did ?
(आपके विचार से जब पोस्टमास्टर को पत्र मिला तो उसने कैसा महसूस किया ? आपके विचार में उसने क्या किया ?)
Answer:
When Lencho opened the letter, he found only seventy pesos in it. He thought that God could not make a mistake. Perhaps the post office employees had cheated him. He wrote another letter to God. He wrote that the post office employees were a bunch of crooks. The story does not tell us what the post master felt when he received the second letter. Perhaps he felt shocked. It is possible that he realized that sometimes even good intentions are misunderstood. I think he met Lencho and explained everything to him. He told him that the post-office employees were not a bunch of crooks. In fact, they were kind and helpful. They had collected money to help him.
(जब लैंचो ने पत्र खोला तो उसे उसमें केवल सत्तर पीसोस मिले। उसने सोचा कि भगवान गलती नहीं कर सकते। शायद डाकघर के कर्मचारियों ने उसे धोखा दिया था। उसने भगवान को एक और पत्र लिखा। उसने लिखा कि डाकघर के कर्मचारी ठगों की टोली है। कहानी हमें यह नहीं बताती कि जब पोस्टमास्टर को दूसरा पत्र मिला तो उसे क्या महसूस हुआ। शायद उसे धक्का लगा। यह संभव है कि उसने महसूस किया कि कभी-कभी अच्छे इरादों को भी गलत समझा जाता है। मैं सोचता हूँ कि वह लैंचो से मिला और उसे सारी बात समझाई। उसने उसे बताया कि डाकघर के कर्मचारी ठगों की टोली नहीं हैं। वास्तव में वह दयालु एवं सहायक थे। उन्होंने उसकी सहायता करने के लिए पैसा इकट्ठा किया था।)

Question 4.
Write the story of Lencho’s faith in God.
(लैंचो की भगवान में आस्था की कहानी लिखो।)
Write a brief summary of the story ‘A Letter to God’. (“ए लैटर टु गॉड” कहानी का संक्षिप्त सार लिखिए।)
Answer:
Lencho was a simple farmer. He was very hard-working. But one year, his harvest was completely destroyed by the hailstorm. He had firm faith in God. He wrote a letter to God asking for a hundred pesos. The postmaster saw the letter. He decided to help Lencho. He collected money from his employees. He gave some part of his own salary also. But the money was less than what Lencho had asked for. The postmaster put the money into an en Lencho. Next Sunday Lencho came to collect his letter. When he counted the money he became angry. He wrote another letter to God. He asked God to send him the rest of money. But he asked God not to send the money through the mail as the employees of the post-office were a bunch of crooks.
(लैंचो एक सादा किसान था। वह बहुत मेहनती था। मगर एक साल उसकी फसल ओलावृष्टि से पूरी तरह नष्ट हो गई। उसे भगवान में पक्का विश्वास था। उसने भगवान को एक पत्र लिखा और सौ पीसोस की माँग की। पोस्टमास्टर ने उस पत्र को देखा। उसने लैंचो की सहायता करने का फैसला किया। उसने अपने कर्मचारियों से धन इकट्ठा किया। उसने अपने वेतन का कुछ भाग भी दिया। मगर यह राशि उसके द्वारा माँगी गई राशि से कम थी। पोस्टमास्टर ने पैसे को एक लिफाफे में डाला और उस पर लैंचो का पता लिख दिया। अगले रविवार लैंचो पत्र लेने आया। जब उसने पैसे गिने तो उसे गुस्सा आ गया। उसने भगवान को एक और पत्र लिखा। उसने भगवान से कहा कि वह बाकी की राशि भी भेज दें। मगर उसने भगवान से कहा कि वह राशि डाक से न भेजें क्योंकि डाकघर के कर्मचारी ठगों का टोला हैं।)

Question 5.
Lencho described the post-office employees as a ‘bunch of crooks’. Were they really a bunch of crooks ? How would you describe them ?
(लैंचो ने डाकघर के कर्मचारियों का वर्णन “एक ठगों का टोला” के रूप में किया। क्या वे सचमुच ठगों का टोला थे ? आप उनका वर्णन कैसे करेंगे ?)
Answer:
A crook is a person who cheats others. He earns his living by dishonest means. Lencho requested God for a hundred pesos. He received a letter in mail. When he opened it he found seventy pesos in it. He thought that the post-office employees had taken the rest of thirty pesos. So he called them a bunch of crooks. But in fact, they were kind and generous people. They did not want to shake Lencho’s faith in God. So they raised money to help him. But they could not raise a hundred pesos. So they put seventy pesos in an envelope and addressed it to Lencho. The post-office employees were good people. They did an act of kindness and charity. It was wrong for Lencho to call them a bunch of crooks.
(धूर्त व्यक्ति वह होता है जो दूसरों को ठगता है। वह अपनी आजीविका गैर-ईमानदार कार्यों से कमाता है। लैंचो ने भगवान से सौ पीसोस की प्रार्थना की थी। उसे डाक से पत्र मिला। जब उसने इसे खोला तो उसे इसमें सत्तर पीसोस मिले। उसने सोचा कि डाकघर के कर्मचारियों ने बाकी के तीस पीसोस निकाल लिए होंगे। इसलिए उसने उन्हें ‘ठगों का टोला’ कहा। मगर वास्तव में वे दयालु एवं परोपकारी लोग थे। वे लैंचो के भगवान में विश्वास को डिगाना नहीं चाहते थे। इसलिए उन्होंने उसकी सहायता करने के लिए पैसा इकट्ठा किया। मगर वे सौ पीसोस इकट्ठे नहीं कर पाए। इसलिए उन्होंने सत्तर पीसोस एक लिफाफे में डाले और उस पर लैंचो का पता लिखा। डाकघर के कर्मचारी अच्छे लोग थे। उन्होंने दया एवं उपकार का कार्य किया। लैंचो का उन्हें ठगों का टोला कहना गलत था।)

Question 6.
Why did Lencho need God’s help? (लैंचो को भगवान की सहायता की जरूरत क्यों थी ?)
Answer:
Lencho was a simple farmer. He was very hard-working. His crops had always been good. One year, he wished that there should be some rain so that his crop would be better. Lencho was sure that the rain would come. In the evening it started raining. But soon the rain changed into a hailstorm. The hails fell on the house, the garden, the hillside and the corn-field. The field looked white as if it had been covered with salt. No leaves were left on the trees. The flowers were gone from the plants. Lencho’s crop was completely destroyed. His heart was filled with sorrow. But he had faith in God. He was sure that God would help him. He wanted God’s help for sowing seed and for living until the next harvest.
(लैंचो एक सादा किसान था। वह बहुत मेहनती था। उसकी फसल सदा अच्छी होती थी। एक साल उसने कामना की कि कुछ वर्षा हो जाए ताकि उसकी फसल बेहतर हो। लैंचो को विश्वास था कि वर्षा होगी। शाम को बरसात होनी आरंभ हो गई। मगर यह बरसात शीघ्र ही ओलों के तूफान में बदल गई। ओले घर, बाग, पहाड़ी और अनाज के खेत पर गिरे। खेत इस प्रकार सफेद लगता था जैसे यह नमक से ढक गया हो। वृक्षों पर पत्ते नहीं रहे। पौधों के फूल खत्म हो गए। लैंचो की फसल पूरी तरह नष्ट हो गई। उसका दिल उदासी से भर गया। मगर उसे भगवान में विश्वास था। उसे विश्वास था कि भगवान उसकी सहायता करेंगे। उसे भगवान की सहायता की आवश्यकता बीज बोने एवं अगली फसल तक जीवित रहने के लिए थी।)

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1.
Lencho’s house was situated :
(A) in a town
(B) in a village
(C) on the top of a low hill
(D) at the bottom of a low hill
Answer:
(C) on the top of a low hill

Question 2.
What did the earth need ?
(A) downpour
(B) fertilizers
(C) pesticides
(D) tilling by a tractor
Answer:
(A) downpour

Question 3.
What has Lencho been doing throughout the morning ?
(A) sleeping in the bed
(B) working in the field
(C) playing with his children
(D) looking towards the sky in the northeast
Answer:
(D) looking towards the sky in the northeast

Question 4.
What happened at meal time ?
(A) dark clouds appeared
(B) small drops of rain began to fall
(C) big drops of rain began to fall
(D) strong winds began to blow
Answer:
(C) big drops of rain began to fall

Question 5.
“Now we’re really going to get some water, woman.” Who is this woman?
(A) Lencho’s wife
(B) Lencho’s sister
(C) Lencho’s neighbour
(D) none of the three
Answer:
(A) Lencho’s wife

Question 6.
What were Lencho’s older boys doing?
(A) playing near the house
(B) working in the field
(C) having their dinner
(D) sleeping inside the house
Answer:
(B) working in the field

Question 7.
What does Lencho call the rain drops ?
(A) very beautiful pearls
(B) new gold coins
(C) new coins
(D) new silver coins
Answer:
(C) new coins

Question 8.
‘These truly did resemble new silver coins.’ What are these.?
(A) rain drops
(B) hailstones
(C) cornfield
(D) flowers in the cornfield
Answer:
(B) hailstones

Question 9.
Lencho’s boys ran out to collect the frozen pearls. These ‘frozen pearls’ were :
(A) hailstones
(B) silver coins
(C) corn flowers
(D) rain drops
Answer:
(A) hailstones

Question 10.
What was Lencho’s occupation ?
(A) cutting wood
(B) farming
(C) looking after cows
(D) tending sheep
Answer:
(B) farming

Question 11.
What destroyed Lencho’s field completely ?
(A) heavy rain
(B) hailstones
(C) a plague of locusts
(D) wild animals
Answer:
(B) hailstones

Question 12.
What was Lencho’s only hope ?
(A) a bag of corn in his barn
(B) help from God
(C) help from his family
(D) a bag of coins in his room
Answer:
(B) help from God

Question 13.
Lencho wrote a letter to :
(A) the postman
(B) the postmaster
(C) God
(D) his relatives
Answer:
(C) God

Question 14.
Lencho asked God to send him :
(A) one hundred pesos
(B) foodgrains
(C) seventy pesos
(D) 1000 pesos
Answer:
(A) one hundred pesos

Question 15.
The postman saw the address on the envelope and went to the postmaster ………
(A) very seriously
(B) confused
(C) jokingly
(D) laughing heartily
Answer:
(D) laughing heartily

Question 16.
Who was a fat amiable fellow ?
(A) the postmaster
(B) the postman
(C) Lencho
(D) Lencho’s son
Answer:
(A) the postmaster

A Letter to God Important Passages for Comprehension

Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow :

PASSAGE 1

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. 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 “A plague of locusts would have left more than this. The hail has left nothing. This year we will have no com.”

Word-meanings : Remain = be still present (शेष रहना); plague = cause of disaster (एक बीमारी/विपत्ति); Locust = locust (टिड्डी)।

Questions :
(a) What had made Lencho’s field white?
(b) What had happened to the trees and plants?
(c) What filled Lencho with sadness?
(d) What did Lencho say to his sons after the storm had stopped?
(e) Name the chapter and the author.
Answers :
(a) The hailstones had made Lencho’s field white.
(b) Not a leaf remained on the trees and Flowers were gone from the plants. (c) The corn was totally destroyed by the hailstones. So he was filled with sadness.
(d) A plague of locusts would have left more than this. The hail has left nothing. This year we will have no corn.
(e) Chapter : A Letter to God, Author : G.L. Fuentes.

PASSAGE 2

But in the hearts of all who lived in that solitary house in the middle of the valley, there was a single hope: help from God.
“Don’t be so upset, even though this seems like a total loss. Remember, no one dies of hunger.”
Word-meanings : Solitary = lonely (अकेला); middle = centre (मध्य); upset = disturbed (परेशान)

Questions :
(a) What was their only hope ?
(b) Who said, “Don’t be upset…….. ?”
(c) What loss had they suffered ?
(d) Who was Lencho ?
(e) Write the meanings of : (i) solitary (ii) upset.
Answers :
(a) Their only hope was that God would help them.
(b) These words were spoken by Lencho.
(c) They had suffered the loss of their crop.
(d) Lencho was a hard working farmer.
(e) (i) lonely (ii) disturbed.

PASSAGE 3

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. Lencho was an ox of a man, working like an animal in the fields, but still he knew how to write. The following Sunday, at daybreak, he began to write a letter which he himself would carry to town and place in the mail. It was nothing less than a letter to God.

Word-meanings : Conscience = soul (आत्मा); an ox of a man = hard-working man (मेहनती व्याक्ति); at daybreak = in the early morning (सूर्योदय के समय); place = to put (डालना) I

Questions :
(a) What kind of a man was Lencho ?
(b) To whom did he write a letter?
(c) Why did he write the letter ?
(d) What is the meaning of the expression ‘an ox of a man’?
(e) Why did he go to town?
Answers :
(a) Lencho was a hard-working man.
(b) He wrote a letter to God.
(c) He wrote the letter because he wanted help from God.
(d) This means “a hard-working man”.
(e) He went to town to post the letter to God.

PASSAGE 4

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, commented. “What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter. Starting up a correspondence with God!”

Word-meanings : Career = profession (धंधा ); amiable = kind (दयालु ); broke out = started (आरंभ किया); immediately = at once (फौरन ) ||

Questions :
(a) Name the chapter and the author this passage has been taken from.
(b) What had the postman never known ?
(c) What kind of a fellow was the postmaster ?
(d) What made the postmaster serious ?
(e) What do you understand by :(i) career (i) amiable.
Answers :
(a) This passage has been taken from the chapter ‘A Letter to God’ written by G.L. Fuentes.
(b) The postman had never known such a strange address.
(c) The postmaster was a fat and amiable man.
(d) The writer’s faith in God made the postmaster serious.
(e) (i) profession (ii) kind and good natured.

PASSAGE 5

But suddenly a strong wind began to blow and alongwith the rain very large hailstones began to fall. These truly did resemble new silver coins. The boys, exposing themselves to the rain, ran out to collect the frozen pearls.
“It’s really getting bad now”, exclaimed the man. “I hope it passes quickly.” It did not pass quickly. For an hour the hail rained on the house, the garden, the hillside, the corn field, on the whole valley. The field was white, as if covered with salt.

Word-meanings : Suddenly = at once (अचानक); resemble = look similar to (शक्ल का मिलना ); quick = done with speed (जल्दी से ).

Questions :
(a) Name the chapter.
(b) What did the hailstones look like?
(c) What happened all at once ?
(d) What did Lencho hope for ?
(e) Find a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘frozen pearls’.
Answers :
(a) The name of the chapter is ‘A Letter to God’.
(b) The hailstones looked like new silver coins.
(c) All at once a strong wind began to blow.
(d) Lencho hoped that the raining of hailstones would stop soon.
(e) Hailstones.

PASSAGE 6

“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.”

Word-meanings : Mail = post (डाक); bunch = group (समूह टोला ); crooks = rogues, cheats (ठग) !

Questions :
(a) How much money had Lencho asked for ?
(b) How much money did he ask God to send more ?
(c) Why did he ask God not to send the money through the mail ?
(d) Were the post-office employees really a bunch of crooks ?
(e) What do you understand by : (i) bunch (ii) crooks ?
Answers :
(a) Lencho had asked God for one hundred pesos.
(b) He asked God to send him thirty pesos more.
(c) He thought that the post-office employees had taken away thirty pesos. So he asked God not to send money through the mail.
(d) No, they were not a bunch of crooks.
(e) (i) group (ii) rogues.

PASSAGE 7

It was during the meal that, just as Lencho had predicted, 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. The man went out for no other reason than to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body.

Word-meanings : Predicted = told before hand (भविष्यवाणी करना); huge = big (विशाल); approaching = coming (आते हुए); pleasure = joy (खुशी)।

Questions :
(a) What had Lencho predicted ?
(b) What happened at meal time ?
(c) What was the change in weather ?
(d) Why did Lencho go out ?
(e) Name the lesson and its author.
Answers :
(a) Lencho had predicted about the rain.
(b) At the meal time, big drops of rain began to fall.
(c) Huge clouds were approaching from the north-east. The air became fresh and sweet.
(d) Lencho went out to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body.
(e) Lesson : ‘A Letter to God’
Author : G.L. Fuentes

PASSAGES FOR PRACTICE (UNSOLVED)

PASSAGE 8

Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money; such was his confidence—but he became angry when he counted the money. 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. On the public writing-table, he started to write with much wrinkling of his brow, caused by the effort he had to make to express his ideas. When he finished, he went to the window to buy a stamp which he licked and then affixed to the envelope with a blow of his fist.

Word-meanings : Slightest = least (जरा सी भी); surprise = wonder (हैरानी); confidence = surety (विश्वास); denied = refused (मना किया , इंकार किया); immediately = at once (फौरन ); brow = forehead (माथा ); express = to show (व्यक्त करना); affix = to put (लगाना)।

Questions :
(a) Why did Lencho not show the slightest surprise on seeing the money ?
(b) Why did he become angry?
(c) Where did Lencho go immediately to ask for paper and ink ?
(d) Whom did he start to write the letter ?
(e) Give the meaning of the following words : (i) Confidence, (ii) Denied.

PASSAGE 9

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.

Word-meanings : Instructed = taught (सिखाया ); conscience = soul (अन्तरात्मा )

Questions :
(a) Why was Lencho in trouble?
(b) What was Lencho’s only hope ?
(c) What had he learnt about God ?
(d) Name the chapter this passage has been taken from.
(e) What do you understand by : (i) instructed (ii) conscience ?

A Letter to God Summary in English

A Letter to God Introduction in English

Lencho was a farmer. He was very hard-working. But his crop was destroyed in a hailstorm. He had a firm faith in God. He thought that God would help him. So he wrote a letter to God. He asked God to send him money. At the post-office, the postmaster read that letter. He and the postmen of the post-office decided to help Lencho. They collected some money and put it into an envelope. The next Sunday, Lencho came to ask whether there was any letter for him. The postmaster gave him that envelope. When Lencho opened the envelop he found the money. But it was less than what he had requested for. He wrote another letter to God. He asked God to send him the rest of the money. But he asked God not to send it by post because the post-office employees were a bunch of crooks.

A Letter to God Summary in English

Lencho was a hard-working farmer. He was expecting a good harvest. But unfortunately, a hailstorm came and destroyed his crop completely. Lencho became sad. But he had firm faith in God. He thought that God would help him. He was a very simple man. He wrote a letter to God. In the letter he asked God to send him one hundred pesos. Then he went to the post-office and put the letter into the mail-box.

The postman took the letter out of the letter-box. He saw the address on it and laughed. Then he went to the postmaster and showed him that strange letter. The postmaster also laughed when he saw the letter addressed to God. But when he read the letter, he became serious. He praised this man who had great faith in God. He decided to help him. He asked the employees of the post-office to give money. He gave a part of his own salary. But they were able to collect only a little more than half the money requested for by Lencho. The postmaster put the money in an envelope and addressed it to Lencho. The next Sunday, Lencho came again to the post-office. He asked if there was any letter for him. The postmaster took out the letter and gave it to Lencho. Lencho was not surprised on seeing the money. But when he counted the money, he became angry. He thought that God could not have made the mistake. He took paper and ink and wrote another letter to God. Then he put the letter into the letter-box.

After Lencho had gone, the postmaster and the employees read the letter. Lencho had complained to God that he had received only seventy pesos. He asked God to send him the rest of the money also. But he asked God not to send the money through the mail. He wrote that the post-office employees were a bunch of crooks.

A Letter to God Summary in Hindi

A Letter to God Introduction in Hindi

(लैंचो एक किसान था। वह बहुत मेहनती था। मगर उसकी फसल ओलों के तूफान में नष्ट हो गई थी। उसे भगवान में पक्का विश्वास था। उसने सोचा कि ईश्वर उसकी सहायता करेंगे। इसलिए उसने भगवान को एक पत्र लिखा। उसने भगवान से कहा कि वह उसे पैसा भेजें। डाकघर में पोस्टमास्टर ने वह पत्र पढ़ा। उसने एवं डाकघर के डाकियों ने लैंचों की सहायता करने का फैसला किया। उन्होंने कुछ पैसा इकट्ठा करके एक लिफाफे में डाल दिया। अगले रविवार लैंचो डाकखाने गया और पूछा कि क्या उसके लिए कोई पत्र है। पोस्टमास्टर ने उसे वह लिफाफा दे दिया। जब लैंचो ने वह लिफाफा खोला तो उसमें पैसा था। मगर यह उस राशि से कम था जितनी उसने माँगी थी। उसने भगवान को दूसरा पत्र लिखा कि वह बाकी का पैसा भेजें। मगर उसने भगवान को कहा कि वह पैसा डाक से न भेजें क्योंकि डाकघर के कर्मचारी तो ठगों का एक टोला हैं।)

A Letter to God Summary in Hindi

लैंचो एक मेहनती किसान था। उसे अच्छी फसल होने की आशा थी। परंतु दुर्भाग्य से ओलों का तूफान आया और उसकी फसल को पूर्णतः समाप्त कर गया। लैंचो उदास हो गया। परंतु उसका भगवान में पक्का विश्वास था। उसने सोचा कि भगवान उसकी सहायता करेंगे। वह एक बहुत साधारण आदमी था। उसने भगवान् को एक पत्र लिखा। पत्र में उसने ईश्वर से एक सौ पीसोस भेजने के लिए कहा। तब वह डाकघर गया और पत्र को डाक-पेटी में डाल दिया।

डाकिए ने पत्र को पत्र-पेटी से निकाला। वह इस पर पता देखकर हँसा। तब वह पोस्टमास्टर के पास गया और उसको वह विचित्र पत्र दिखाया। पत्र पर भगवान् का पता देखकर पोस्टमास्टर भी हँसा। परंतु जब उसने पत्र पढ़ा तो वह गंभीर हो गया। उसने डाकघर के कर्मचारियों से पैसे देने को कहा। उसने अपने वेतन का भी एक हिस्सा दिया। परंतु वह लैंचो द्वारा माँगी गई धनराशि के आधी से कुछ अधिक इकट्ठा कर सके। पोस्टमास्टर ने पैसा एक लिफाफे में रखा और लैंचो का पता लिख दिया। अगले रविवार लैंचो फिर डाकघर आया। उसने पूछा कि क्या उसके नाम कोई पत्र आया है। पोस्टमास्टर ने पत्र निकाला और लैंचो को दे दिया। लैंचो को पैसा देखकर कोई आश्चर्य नहीं हुआ। परंतु जब उसने पैसे गिने तो वह गुस्सा हुआ। उसने सोचा कि भगवान गलती नहीं कर सकता। उसने कागज और स्याही उठाई और भगवान को दूसरा पत्र लिखा। तब उसने पत्र पत्र-पेटी में डाल दिया।

लैंचो के चले जाने के बाद पोस्टमास्टर और कर्मचारियों ने पत्र पढ़ा। लैंचो ने भगवान से शिकायत की थी कि उसे केवल सत्तर पीसोस ही प्राप्त हुए। उसने ईश्वर को शेष पैसे भी भेजने को कहा। परंतु उसने भगवान को पैसा डाक द्वारा नहीं भेजने को कहा। उसने लिखा कि डाकघर के कर्मचारी ठगों का एक टोला हैं।

A Letter to God Translation in Hindi

[PAGE 3] : वह घर-जो सारी घाटी में अकेला ही था एक छोटी पहाड़ी की चोटी पर स्थित था। इस ऊँचाई से व्यक्ति नदी और पके हुए अनाज के खेत देख सकता था, जो ऐसे फूलों से भरे हुए थे जो हमेशा अच्छी फसल की आशा बँधाते थे। धरती को यदि जरूरत थी तो केवल बौछार या कम-से-कम धीमी वर्षा की। सारी प्रातः लैंचो-जो अपने खेतों को अच्छी तरह से जानता था-ने उत्तर-पूर्व आकाश की ओर देखने के सिवाय और कुछ नहीं किया था।

“प्रिय, अब वास्तव में हमें कुछ पानी मिलेगा।”
महिला, जो भोजन बना रही थी, ने उत्तर दिया, “हाँ, यदि भगवान ने चाहा।” बड़े लड़के खेत में काम कर रहे थे, जबकि छोटे लड़के घर के पास खेल रहे थे। तब महिला ने उन सबको आवाज दी, “भोजन के लिए आओ…………” खाने के दौरान, जैसा कि लैंचो ने भविष्यवाणी की थी, बरसात की बड़ी-बड़ी बूंदें गिरने लगीं।

[PAGE 4] : उत्तर-पूर्व में बड़े-बड़े पहाड़ जैसे बादल आते हुए दिखाई दिए। हवा में ताजगी और भीनी सुगंध थी। वह व्यक्ति (लैंचो) बाहर चला गया। इसका कारण वर्षा के आनंद को अपने शरीर पर अनुभव करने के सिवाय कुछ नहीं था, और जब वह लौटकर आया तो उसने चिल्लाकर कहा, “यह आकाश से गिरती हुई बरसात की बूंदें नहीं हैं, ये तो नए सिक्के हैं। बड़ी बूंदें दस सेंट के सिक्के हैं और छोटी पाँच सेंट के।” .

एक संतुष्ट भाव से उसने अपने पके अनाज से भरे खेतों को वर्षा की चादर से ढका हुआ देखा। परंतु अचानक तेज हवा चलने लगी और बरसात के साथ बहुत बड़े-बड़े ओले गिरने लगे। यह सचमुच नए चाँदी के सिक्कों के समान प्रतीत होते थे। लड़के उन जमे हुए मोतियों को इकट्ठा करने के लिए वर्षा में भागने लगे।

“अब वास्तव में बुरा हो रहा है,” लैंचो ने कहा। “मुझे आशा है कि ओले गिरने शीघ्र ही बंद हो जाएँगे।” ओले जल्दी नहीं रुके। एक घंटे तक ओले मकान, बाग, पहाड़ी, अनाज के खेत और पूरी घाटी पर बरसते रहे। पूरा खेत सफेद हो गया, मानो नमक से ढक गया हो।

वृक्षों पर एक भी पत्ता नहीं रहा था। अनाज पूरी तरह नष्ट हो गया। पौधों से फूल झड़ गए। लैंचो की आत्मा उदासी से भर गई। जब तूफान रुक गया तो वह अपने खेतों के बीच में खड़ा हुआ और अपने बेटों से कहा :
“एक टिड्डी-दल के प्रहार के बाद भी इससे अधिक बच गया होता………ओलों ने कुछ भी नहीं छोड़ा, इस साल हमें अनाज नहीं मिलेगा।”

[PAGE 5] : वह रात बहुत दुःख भरी थी। “हमारी सारी मेहनत बेकार गई।” “कोई नहीं जो हमारी सहायता करे।” “इस वर्ष हमें भूखा रहना पड़ेगा।” परंतु उन सबके दिलों में, जो घाटी के मध्य उस अकेले मकान में रहते थे, केवल एक ही आशा थी : भगवान से सहायता। “इतना परेशान मत हो, यद्यपि ऐसा प्रतीत होता है कि यह सर्वनाश है। याद रखो, भूख से कोई नहीं मरता।” “कहते तो ऐसा ही हैं, भूख से कोई नहीं मरता।”

सारी रात लैंचो अपनी एकमात्र आशा के बारे में सोचता रहा। भगवान से सहायता, जिसकी आँखें, जैसा कि उसे शिक्षा दी गई थी, सब कुछ देखती हैं, यहाँ तक कि व्यक्ति के गहरे अंतःकरण को भी।

लैंचो मनुष्य होते हुए भी एक बैल था (अर्थात् मेहनती था), जो खेतों में एक पशु की तरह काम करता था, लेकिन फिर भी वह लिखना जानता था। अगले रविवार को सवेरे वह एक पत्र लिखने लगा, जिसे वह स्वयं शहर जाकर डाक में डालेया। यह भगवान के नाम एक पत्र से कम नहीं था।

“भगवान,” उसने लिखा, “यदि आपने मेरी सहायता न की, तो मुझे और मेरे परिवार को इस वर्ष भूखा रहना पड़ेगा। मुझे अपने खेत में दोबारा बीज बोने के लिए तथा अगली फसल आने तक गुजारा करने के लिए सौ पीसोस चाहिएँ, क्योंकि ओलों के तूफान…..।”
लिफाफे पर उसने लिखा, “भगवान के नाम”। पत्र को लिफाफे में डाला और दुःखी-सा शहर चला गया। डाकघर में उसने लिफाफे पर टिकट लगाया और उसे लैटर बॉक्स में डाल दिया।

एक कर्मचारी जो डाकिया था और डाकघर के कार्य में भी सहायता करता था, अपने अफसर के पास हँसता हुआ गया और उसे भगवान के नाम लिखा पत्र दिखाया। अपने पोस्टमैन के रूप में सारे सेवाकाल में उसने कभी ऐसा पता नहीं देखा था। डाकपाल एक मोटा हँसमुख व्यक्ति था, वह भी जोर से हँसने लगा।

[PAGE 8] : परंतु शीघ्र ही वह गंभीर हो गया, और पत्र को अपने मेज पर थपथपाते हुए बोला :
“क्या विश्वास है काश! मेरे में भी उस आदमी जैसा विश्वास होता, जिसने यह पत्र लिखा है जो भगवान से पत्र-व्यवहार कर रहा है।”

अतः लेखक का भगवान में विश्वास न डिगाने के लिए, डाकपाल के मन में विचार आया। पत्र का उत्तर दो। परंतु जब उसने इसे खोला तो यह स्पष्ट था कि इसका उत्तर देने के लिए सद्भावना, कागज और स्याही के अतिरिक्त कुछ और भी चाहिए, मगर वह अपने इरादे पर अडिग रहा। उसने अपने कर्मचारियों से धन माँगा, उसने स्वयं अपने वेतन का एक भाग दिया, और अपने अनेक मित्रों को भी पुण्य के नाम पर कुछ देने के लिए मजबूर किया।
उसके लिए सौ पीसोस इकट्ठे करना असंभव था, अतः वह उस किसान को आधी राशि से कुछ अधिक भेज सका। उसने पैसे एक लिफाफे में डाले, एक पत्र पर हस्ताक्षर के रूप में एक शब्द “भगवान” लिखकर लिफाफे को बंद किया और उस पर लैंचो का पता लिखा।

अगले रविवार को यह पूछने के लिए कि क्या उसका कोई पत्र आया है, लैंचो समय से कछ पहले ही आ गया। डाकिए ने स्वयं उसे वह पत्र दिया, जबकि डाकपाल, ऐसे व्यक्ति की संतुष्टि को महसूस करते हुए जिसने कोई भला कार्य किया है दफ्तर के दरवाजे से झाँक रहा था।

पत्र में धन देखकर लैंचो को बिल्कुल आश्चर्य न हुआ, उसका विश्वास इतना अडिग था-परंतु जब उसने पैसे गिने तो वह नाराज हुआ………भगवान गलती नहीं कर सकते थे, और न ही जो लैंचो ने माँगा था उसे देने से इंकार कर सकते थे।
फौरन लैंचो खिड़की पर कागज और स्याही माँगने गया। जन-साधारण के लिए लिखने की मेज पर बैठकर, वह पत्र लिखने लगा। अपने विचारों को व्यक्त करने के लिए उसे जो प्रयत्न करना पड़ रहा था उसके कारण उसके माथे पर बल पड़ गए। जब उसने पत्र समाप्त किया, वह खिड़की पर टिकट खरीदने गया, जिसे उसने थूक लगाई और मुक्का मारकर लिफाफे पर चिपका दिया।

(PAGE 7] : ज्यों ही उसने पत्र लैटर बॉक्स में डाला, पोस्टमास्टर इसे खोलने के लिए गया। इसमें लिखा था : “भगवान! मैंने जितनी राशि के लिए कहा था, उसमें से केवल सत्तर पीसोस ही मेरे पास पहँचे हैं। मुझे बाकी की राशि भी भेजो क्योंकि मुझे इसकी बहुत अधिक जरूरत है। परंतु यह मुझे डाक द्वारा मत भेजना क्योंकि डाकघर के कर्मचारी तो ठगों का टोला हैं। लैंचो।”

A Letter to God Word-Meanings in Hindi

[PAGE 3] : Entire = complete (पूर्ण); crest = top of a hill (शिखर/चोटी); harvest = season’s yield of crop (फसल); downpour = heavy rain (मूसलाधार वर्षा); throughout = all through (लगातार); intimately = thoroughly (पूरी तरह से)।

[PAGE 4] : Predict = say in advance (भविष्यवाणी करना); expression = aspect of face (भाव); regarded = looked closely (ध्यान से देखा); draped = dressed/covered (ढका हुआ); curtain = cover (आवरण); hailstones = frozen rain (ओले); resemble = be similar (शक्ल का मिलना); exposing = leaving uncovered (खुला/उघाड़ा छोड़ देना); frozen = frozen (जमे हुए); pearls = pearls (मोती); remain = be still present (शेष रहना); plague = cause of disaster (एक बीमारी/ विपत्ति); locust = locust (टिड्डी)।

[PAGE 5] : Solitary = lonely (अकेला); upset= worried / troubled (चिंतित/परेशान); instruct=teach/inform (सिखाना/बताना); conscience = moral sense of right / wrong (अंतरात्मा); still = even to this / that time (अभी भी); boss = person in authority (अफसर); career = profession (व्यवसाय); amiable = kind-hearted (दयालु-हृदय)।

[PAGE6] : Tap = give light, quick blows (थपथपाना); comment=remark (टिप्पणी करना); correspondence = exchange of letters (पत्र-व्यवहार); shake = weaken (हिलाना/कमजोर करना); goodwill friendly feeling (सद्भावना); stuck = remained determined (दृढ़-निश्चय); resolution = determination (पक्का इरादा); salary= pay, emoluments (वेतन); obliged = compelled (मजबूर होना); charity = benefaction (दया/उदारता); contain = have within itself (में होना/रखना); signature = signature (हस्ताक्षर); handed = gave (दिया); experiencing = feeling (महसूस करना); contentment = satisfaction (संतुष्टि); perform = do (करना); deed = act (कार्य); slightest = very little (बहुत कम); confidence = faith (विश्वास); deny = say no/refuse (इंकार करना); wrinkling = have wrinkles (झुर्रियाँ होना); brow = (here) forehead (माथा); caused = (here) made (बनाया); effort = attempt (प्रयत्न); express = show by words (व्यक्त करना); lick = pass the tongue over / under (चाटना); affix = fix / fasten (लगाना)।

[PAGE 7] : Blow = hard stroke with fist, etc. (प्रहार); since = because (क्योंकि); mail = post (डाक); bunch = gang | group (समूह); crook = rogue / swindler (ठग या धोखेबाज)।