A Letter to God (Story) English class 10 in English Medium ncert book solutions Chapter Summary

Chapter 1. (Story) A Letter to God

Story Summary (English)

A Letter to God, written by G.L. Fuentes, is a touching story that highlights the power of faith, hope, and human kindness. The story begins with Lencho, a poor but hardworking farmer, who lives with his family in the only house on the top of a low hill. His entire livelihood depends on a successful harvest, and he eagerly waits for rain that will help his ripe corn crop grow. When dark clouds gather in the sky, Lencho happily welcomes the rain, believing that it will bring prosperity to his family. However, his happiness is short-lived as the gentle rainfall suddenly turns into a violent hailstorm. The hail destroys the crops completely, leaving the fields barren and causing a great financial loss to the family. 

Although the disaster leaves everyone in the family worried and hopeless, Lencho never loses his faith in God. He firmly believes that God knows everything and will certainly help those who trust Him. With complete confidence, Lencho writes a letter addressed to God, asking for one hundred pesos so that he can sow his fields again and provide food for his family until the next harvest. When the letter reaches the post office, the postmaster is deeply impressed by Lencho's unwavering faith. Wanting to preserve that faith, he collects money from his colleagues and friends and sends it to Lencho in an envelope signed simply as "God". Although they cannot arrange the full amount, they send whatever money they are able to collect. 

When Lencho receives the envelope, he is not surprised because he is certain that God has answered his prayer. However, after counting the money, he becomes angry because it is less than the amount he had requested. Instead of doubting God, Lencho concludes that the post office employees must have stolen the remaining money. He immediately writes another letter to God asking for the rest of the money and requests that it should not be sent through the post office again. The story ends with a powerful irony, as Lencho unknowingly blames the very people who helped him. Through this simple yet meaningful story, the author beautifully conveys the values of faith, generosity, compassion, and the importance of helping others without expecting anything in return. 

Story Summary (Hindi / सारांश)

"A Letter to God" प्रसिद्ध लेखक जी. एल. फुएंटेस द्वारा लिखी गई एक अत्यंत मार्मिक और प्रेरणादायक कहानी है। इस कहानी का मुख्य पात्र लेन्चो एक गरीब लेकिन मेहनती किसान है, जो अपने परिवार के साथ पहाड़ी की चोटी पर बने एक छोटे से घर में रहता है। उसकी पूरी आजीविका उसकी फसल पर निर्भर करती है। जब उसकी मकई की फसल पकने लगती है, तब उसे केवल अच्छी वर्षा की आवश्यकता होती है। बादलों को देखकर लेन्चो बहुत प्रसन्न हो जाता है और उसे विश्वास होता है कि अब उसकी मेहनत सफल होगी। लेकिन कुछ ही समय बाद हल्की वर्षा भयंकर ओलावृष्टि में बदल जाती है। बड़े-बड़े ओले पूरी फसल को नष्ट कर देते हैं और खेत पूरी तरह उजड़ जाते हैं। इस प्राकृतिक आपदा के कारण लेन्चो और उसके परिवार के सामने भूख तथा आर्थिक संकट खड़ा हो जाता है। 

इतनी बड़ी विपत्ति आने के बाद भी लेन्चो भगवान पर अपना विश्वास नहीं खोता। उसे पूरा भरोसा होता है कि भगवान अपने भक्तों की सहायता अवश्य करते हैं। इसी अटूट विश्वास के साथ वह भगवान को एक पत्र लिखता है और सौ पेसो की सहायता माँगता है ताकि वह दोबारा खेती कर सके और अगली फसल आने तक अपने परिवार का पालन-पोषण कर सके। जब यह पत्र डाकघर पहुँचता है, तो पोस्टमास्टर लेन्चो की सच्ची आस्था से अत्यंत प्रभावित होता है। वह अपने कर्मचारियों और मित्रों की सहायता से कुछ धन एकत्र करता है और भगवान के नाम से वह राशि लेन्चो को भेज देता है। यद्यपि पूरी राशि एकत्र नहीं हो पाती, फिर भी वे अपनी ओर से पूरी ईमानदारी और दयालुता के साथ उसकी सहायता करते हैं। 

जब लेन्चो को पैसे मिलते हैं, तो उसे बिल्कुल आश्चर्य नहीं होता क्योंकि उसे विश्वास था कि भगवान उसकी प्रार्थना अवश्य सुनेंगे। लेकिन राशि कम देखकर वह क्रोधित हो जाता है। उसे भगवान पर तनिक भी संदेह नहीं होता, बल्कि वह यह मान लेता है कि डाकघर के कर्मचारियों ने बाकी पैसे चुरा लिए होंगे। इसलिए वह भगवान को दूसरा पत्र लिखता है और शेष राशि भेजने का अनुरोध करता है। साथ ही वह यह भी लिखता है कि पैसे डाकघर के माध्यम से न भेजे जाएँ क्योंकि वहाँ के कर्मचारी बेईमान हैं। कहानी का अंत एक गहरी विडंबना (Irony) के साथ होता है, जहाँ लेन्चो उन्हीं लोगों पर चोरी का आरोप लगा देता है जिन्होंने उसकी निस्वार्थ सहायता की थी। यह कहानी हमें सिखाती है कि सच्चा विश्वास मनुष्य को कठिन परिस्थितियों में भी आशा देता है तथा मानवता, दया और परोपकार समाज की सबसे बड़ी शक्तियाँ हैं। 

Character Sketch (Main Characters)

The story revolves around a few memorable characters whose actions and personalities help develop the plot and convey the central message of faith, kindness, and irony.

Lencho

Lencho is a poor, hardworking, and honest farmer who depends entirely on his crops for survival. He has complete and unquestioning faith in God and believes that God will never let him suffer. His innocence is reflected in the way he writes directly to God for financial help. However, his blind faith also makes him misunderstand the kindness of the post office employees, whom he wrongly suspects of stealing his money.

The Postmaster

The postmaster is a kind-hearted, generous, and compassionate person. He is deeply touched by Lencho's faith in God and decides to protect that faith by arranging money for him. He contributes a part of his own salary and encourages his colleagues and friends to donate. His selfless act makes him one of the most admirable characters in the story.

Lencho's Family

Lencho's wife and children support him during the difficult time after the destruction of their crops. Although they are worried about their future, they remain united and share Lencho's hope that God will somehow help them overcome their problems.

Theme / Message of the Story

A Letter to God highlights the importance of faith, hope, kindness, and humanity. The story shows that strong faith gives people the courage to face even the most difficult situations. At the same time, it reminds readers that acts of kindness often come through ordinary people. The ironic ending teaches that blind faith and misunderstanding can sometimes prevent us from recognising the goodness and generosity of others. Overall, the story encourages readers to believe in hope, appreciate human compassion, and help those in need without expecting anything in return.

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