A Letter to God — AP Board Class 10 English (First Flight)

"If you don't have faith, you are nothing." — Lencho

1. About the Chapter

'A Letter to God' is a touching short story by Gregorio Lopez y Fuentes, a Mexican writer (1895-1966). Translated from Spanish, it explores faith, irony, and human nature through the story of a farmer named Lencho whose crops are destroyed by hail. This chapter is part of the AP Board (BSEAP) Class 10 English First Flight textbook under the new NCERT-aligned 2025-26 syllabus.

Why This Story Matters for AP Board Students

• Powerful exploration of faith — a concept deeply rooted in Indian culture
• IRONIC ending that is frequently tested in AP Board examinations
• Relatable to students from farming communities across Andhra Pradesh
• Introduces key literary devices: irony, symbolism, imagery
• High-scoring chapter in AP Board exams — character sketches and theme analysis

2. About the Author

Gregorio Lopez y Fuentes (1895-1966)

• Mexican novelist and short story writer
• Spent childhood in rural Mexico — deeply understood farming life
• Wrote extensively about rural and indigenous Mexican life
• Won the National Prize for Literature in 1935
• His works often highlight the struggles of poor farmers

Why He Wrote This Story

He grew up witnessing the FAITH and STRUGGLE of poor farmers in rural Mexico. 'A Letter to God' reflects his deep sympathy for their resilience and unshakeable faith despite repeated hardship.

3. Story Setting

• Location: Mexican countryside (a small valley with a river and hills)
• Time: Early 20th century
• Atmosphere: Simple rural life, close to nature
• Main Character: Lencho, a poor farmer living on a hill with his family
• AP Context: Reminiscent of rural farming communities in Andhra Pradesh — Anantapur, Kurnool, and Prakasam districts

4. Detailed Plot Summary

Part 1: Hope and Expectation

Lencho lives in a small house on top of a low hill. From there, he surveys his field of ripe corn — his entire family's hope for the year. He looks at the sky with HOPE, praying for rain to bring the harvest to fullness.

The author emphasises Lencho's simplicity and his complete TRUST in nature and God.

Part 2: Rain and Destruction

Lencho's prayers are answered — dark clouds gather. But what begins as RAIN turns into a DESTRUCTIVE HAILSTORM. The hailstones are described as 'frozen pearls' — beautiful but devastating.

• The corn field is completely flattened
• The bean crop is destroyed
• All flowers in the garden are crushed
• Nothing remains

Lencho laments: 'The hail has left nothing. We shall all go hungry this year.'

Part 3: The Letter to God

Despite the complete destruction, Lencho does not LOSE FAITH. He believes God sees everything — even the hailstorm. He decides to WRITE A LETTER TO GOD asking for 100 pesos to:

• Re-sow his field for the next season
• Feed his family until the next harvest

The letter is addressed simply: 'To God'. Lencho goes to town, buys a stamp, and posts the letter himself.

Part 4: The Post Office Responds

The postman finds the letter and, amused, takes it to the POSTMASTER. Initially they laugh — but then the postmaster is deeply moved.

He says: 'What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter.'

Determined not to shake Lencho's faith, the postmaster:

• Collects money from his own salary
• Asks post office employees to donate
• Raises a total of 70 pesos (not the full 100)
• Places the money in an envelope addressed from 'God'
• Signs it: 'God'

Part 5: Lencho's Reaction

Lencho receives the envelope. He is NOT SURPRISED — his faith is so complete that he expected God to answer. He opens the envelope, counts the money: only 70 pesos.

But instead of GRATITUDE, Lencho feels ANGER.

He writes a SECOND letter to God. In it, he says:

• God could NOT have made a mistake
• God would never send less than what was requested
• The post office employees must be thieves who stole the remaining 30 pesos
• He asks God to send the REST of the money through a DIFFERENT route — NOT through the post office

Part 6: The Ironic Ending

The postmaster opens the second letter. He is shocked and deeply hurt. The very people who helped Lencho are now ACCUSED of stealing.

The story ends with the postmaster's silent shock — no explanation, no resolution. The irony hangs in the air.

5. Character Analysis

Lencho — The Faithful Farmer

• A poor Mexican farmer, simple and hardworking
• Lives on a small hill with his wife and children
• Unshakeable faith in God — almost naive in its intensity
• Cannot read or write well but writes his letter with deep conviction
• Irony: His faith in God leads him to SUSPECT the very humans who helped him
• Represents the universal farmer — hardworking, honest, struggling, faithful
• AP Board Exam Tip: Lencho's character is a favourite for 4-mark and 6-mark descriptive questions

The Postmaster — The Silent Helper

• Kind, generous, and compassionate
• Deeply moved by Lencho's faith
• Wants to PRESERVE Lencho's belief in God
• Does not seek credit or recognition
• Irony: His act of kindness is repaid with ACCUSATION
• Represents SELFLESS SERVICE — helping without expecting thanks

The Postman

• Initially amused by the letter
• Brings the letter to the postmaster's attention
• Donates (along with other employees) to the collection

Lencho's Family

• Briefly mentioned — wife and children
• Share Lencho's worry about the future
• Represent the collective dependence on farming

6. Key Themes

1. Faith — The Central Theme

Lencho's faith is ABSOLUTE and UNSHAKEABLE. He never doubts God's existence or God's willingness to help. The postmaster himself marvels: 'What faith!' Faith is presented as both STRENGTH (it sustains Lencho) and WEAKNESS (it blinds him to human kindness).

2. Irony — The Driving Force

The story's POWER lies in its ironic twist:

• The helpers (post office) are called thieves
• The gratitude is directed to God, not the humans who gave
• Lencho's faith makes him ungrateful to the real helpers
• The more the postal workers help, the more they are blamed

3. Human Nature and Kindness

• The postmaster and employees represent SELFLESS GIVING
• They ask for nothing in return
• But human nature also includes Lencho's SUSPICION — he cannot believe God would fail him, so SOMEONE must have stolen

4. Poverty and Natural Calamities

• The story highlights how ONE storm can destroy a poor farmer's entire year
• Relatable to Indian farmers, especially in drought-prone regions of Andhra Pradesh
• Raises questions about crop insurance, government support, and sustainable farming

5. The Gap Between Faith and Reason

• Lencho's blind faith and the postmaster's rational kindness
• Neither understands the other fully
• The story asks: Can faith and reason coexist?

7. Literary Devices

Irony (Verbal and Situational)

The central device of the story. Situational irony: the post office workers help but are blamed. Verbal irony: Lencho calls them 'a bunch of crooks' when they are actually the kindest people.

Symbolism

• HAIL: Represents sudden, uncontrollable destruction — like natural disasters that devastate farmers
• LETTER: Symbolises faith — a direct communication between man and God
• POSTMASTER: Represents unsung, anonymous human kindness
• 70 PESOS: The imperfect human response to a perfect divine expectation

Imagery

• 'Frozen pearls' covering the field — beautiful yet destructive
• 'Black clouds' approaching — ominous, foreboding
• 'A forest of frozen pearls' — the transformed field after the hail

Simile

• 'The hail-stones looked like new silver coins' — vivid comparison
• 'The field was as white as if covered with salt' — after the hail

Metaphor

• Lencho's soul: 'a deep and unshakeable faith' — faith as a solid foundation
• The postmaster: 'an unsung hero' — he acts without recognition

Foreshadowing

• The title 'A Letter to God' hints that something unusual will happen
• The postmaster's curiosity about Lencho's reaction sets up the ending

8. Important Quotes and Explanations

'If you don't have faith, you are nothing.' Lencho's core belief. It drives the entire story. In his world, faith is everything.

'The hail has left nothing.' A simple yet powerful statement of complete loss. No exaggeration — just devastating fact.

'What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter.' The postmaster's reaction shows how extraordinary Lencho's faith is. It's the turning point — the moment the post office decides to help.

'God could not have made a mistake... The post office employees are a bunch of crooks.' The most ironic lines in the story. The helpers are called thieves. This single statement contains the entire story's dramatic irony.

'It looked as though they were covered with a forest of frozen pearls.' Beautiful imagery describing the destruction. The contrast between 'frozen pearls' (beautiful) and 'destruction' (terrible) is striking.

9. AP Board Exam-Specific Tips

Common Exam Questions (AP Board Pattern)

1. Character sketch of Lencho (4 marks) — Focus on his faith, simplicity, hard work, and ironic blindness
2. Theme of irony (4 marks) — Explain the situational irony with textual evidence
3. Why did Lencho write a second letter? (2 marks) — Simple factual answer expected
4. Postmaster's role (4 marks) — Highlight his kindness, generosity, and the ironic outcome
5. Value-based question: What does the story teach us about faith and human kindness? (6 marks)

Important Points for AP Board Exams

• The story is set in MEXICO, not India — students often make this mistake
• Lencho is a farmer, not a landowner
• The post office employees are the REAL helpers — not God
• The irony is that the HELPERS are blamed
• The ending is ironic, not happy

10. AP Board Indian Context

Relevance to Andhra Pradesh

• Andhra Pradesh is primarily an AGRICULTURAL STATE
• Major crops: paddy, cotton, sugarcane, groundnut, chilli
• Farmers in Rayalaseema (Anantapur, Kurnool) face frequent droughts
• Coastal Andhra farmers face cyclones and floods
• Like Lencho, many farmers have DEEP FAITH despite repeated crop failures

Government Schemes (AP Context)

• PM Fasal Bima Yojana: Crop insurance scheme available to Andhra farmers
• Rythu Bharosa: AP government's investment support for farmers
• Zero-Budget Natural Farming: AP's push towards sustainable agriculture
• These contrast with Lencho's world where NO government support existed

Connecting to AP Board Essays

When writing about this story, AP Board students can draw parallels between Lencho's struggle and the challenges faced by farmers in Andhra Pradesh. This demonstrates broader thinking and scores higher marks.

11. Common Mistakes Students Make

1. Story is set in India — NO. The story is set in rural MEXICO. The author is Mexican, the landscape is Mexican.

2. God actually replies — NO. The post office workers write the reply to preserve Lencho's faith.

3. Lencho is grateful — OPPOSITE! He is ANGRY and accuses the post office of stealing.

4. Lencho is rich — NO. He is a poor subsistence farmer. The 100 pesos represent his entire livelihood.

5. The ending is happy — The ending is IRONIC, not happy. A bittersweet realisation.

6. The postmaster is a minor character — He is the SECOND most important character. His actions drive the irony.

12. Lessons and Values

1. Faith can be both INSPIRING and BLINDING — it depends on how we use it
2. Anonymous kindness is the PUREST form of help
3. Not all help is recognised or appreciated — but that shouldn't stop us from helping
4. SUSPICION can destroy the bonds of human kindness
5. Read between the lines — the story's TRUE message is about the human capacity for both good and misunderstanding
6. In exams, focus on the IRONY — it is the key to high marks

13. Worked Examples (AP Board Pattern)

Example 1: Short Answer (2 marks)

Q: Why did Lencho write a letter to God? A: After a hailstorm destroyed his crops, Lencho needed 100 pesos to re-sow his field and feed his family. His deep faith in God led him to write a letter asking for the money, addressing it simply 'To God'.

Example 2: Short Answer (2 marks)

Q: Why was Lencho angry when he received the letter from God? A: Lencho had asked for 100 pesos but received only 70. Instead of being grateful, he became angry because he believed God could not have made a mistake. He concluded the post office employees had stolen the remaining 30 pesos.

Example 3: Character Sketch (4 marks)

Q: Describe the character of Lencho. A: Lencho is a poor but hardworking Mexican farmer with UNBREAKABLE faith in God. He lives simply with his family on a hill. Despite losing his entire crop to hail, he does not despair — he writes a letter to God. His faith is so absolute that when he receives only 70 pesos, he suspects the post office instead of doubting God. This irony makes him both admirable (for his faith) and flawed (for his blindness to human kindness).

Example 4: Theme Analysis (6 marks)

Q: Discuss the theme of irony in 'A Letter to God'. A: Irony is the CENTRAL device of the story. The postmaster and his employees collect money from their own pockets to help Lencho. They do this ANONYMOUSLY, wanting only to preserve his faith. But when Lencho receives only 70 pesos instead of 100, he suspects the post office employees of stealing. He calls them 'a bunch of crooks' and demands God send the rest through a different route. The HELPERS are called THIEVES. The irony is situational — the opposite of what we expect happens. It is also DRAMATIC — we know the truth but Lencho does not. This irony teaches us that blind faith can sometimes make us blind to human goodness.

14. Conclusion

'A Letter to God' is a DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE story with profound layers:

• Lencho's faith is both his greatest strength and his tragic flaw
• The postmaster's kindness is selfless and unrecognised
• Irony transforms a simple story into a powerful moral tale
• Themes of faith, kindness, and human nature are UNIVERSAL

For AP Board Class 10 students, this story teaches:

• Read carefully for NUANCE — the surface meaning is not the whole story
• Irony is a POWERFUL literary tool
• Human beings are COMPLEX — even good deeds can be misunderstood
• Faith and reason need BALANCE

This chapter is a HIGH-SCORING one in AP Board English exams. Master the character sketch of Lencho and the theme of irony for maximum marks.

'A Letter to God' — a small letter, but a big lesson about faith and human nature.