NCERT Questions & Answers + Important Extra Questions
NCERT Textbook Questions
Oral Comprehension Check (Page 5)
What did Lencho hope for?
Answer
Lencho hoped for rain for his field of ripe corn. His crops badly needed a good downpour or at least a shower to produce a good harvest.
Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like "new coins"?
Answer
Lencho compared the raindrops to "new coins" because he was a farmer whose livelihood depended on a good harvest. The rain would help his crops grow, which would bring him money. The big drops were "ten-cent pieces" and the little ones were "five-cent pieces" — emphasising that each raindrop was as valuable as money to him.
How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho's fields?
Answer
The rain suddenly changed into a hailstorm. Large hailstones fell for an hour, covering the fields like a blanket of white salt. The hail completely destroyed Lencho's crops — not a single leaf remained on the trees, the corn was totally ruined, and the flowers fell from the plants. There was nothing left; the field looked as if it had been covered with salt.
What were Lencho's feelings when the hail stopped?
Answer
Lencho's soul was filled with deep sadness and despair. He looked at his destroyed fields and said, "A plague of locusts would have left more than this." He felt hopeless because his family would go hungry that year — the hail had destroyed their entire crop and only source of income.
Oral Comprehension Check (Page 6-7)
Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
Answer
Lencho had unwavering faith in God. He believed that God sees everything and would help him. He wrote a letter to God, asking for one hundred pesos to re-sow his field and survive until the next crop came. He put the letter in an envelope, addressed it "To God," put a stamp on it, and dropped it in the mailbox.
Who read the letter?
Answer
The postman first noticed the letter addressed "To God" and, laughing, showed it to the postmaster. The postmaster read the letter and was initially amused, but then became serious. He was deeply moved by Lencho's unwavering faith in God and wished he himself had such faith.
What did the postmaster do then?
Answer
The postmaster decided to help Lencho so that his faith in God would not be shaken. He collected money from his own salary and from his employees and friends. Though he could gather only a little more than 70 pesos (not the full 100 Lencho had asked for), he put the money in an envelope addressed to Lencho and signed it "God."
Thinking about the Text
Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences tell you this?
Answer
Lencho has complete faith in God. The following sentences show this: (i) "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." (ii) "All through the night, Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God, whose eyes, as he had been instructed, see everything." (iii) He wrote "To God" on the envelope with absolute confidence that God would send him money. (iv) When he received only 70 pesos, he wrote back to God accusing the post office employees of stealing — showing he never doubted God, only the humans around him.
Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter "God"?
Answer
The postmaster sends money because he is deeply touched by Lencho's innocent and absolute faith in God. He doesn't want this simple farmer's faith to be destroyed. He feels that someone should respond to Lencho's letter to keep his beautiful trust alive. He signs it "God" because if he signed his own name, Lencho wouldn't believe that God had answered his letter. The postmaster wanted Lencho to continue believing that God had directly helped him.
Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money? Why or why not?
Answer
No, Lencho did not try to find out who sent the money. His faith in God was so absolute and unshakeable that he was completely confident that God had sent it. He didn't doubt for a moment that the money came from God. He was not surprised that God had answered — he expected it. What did surprise and anger him was that only 70 pesos had arrived instead of 100. He immediately concluded that the post office employees had stolen the remaining 30 pesos.
What are the__( two ironies in the lesson?
Answer
There are two key ironies:
(i) Irony of gratitude: The people who actually helped Lencho (the postmaster and his staff) are the ones Lencho calls "a bunch of crooks" who stole his money. The very people who went out of their way to help him — contributing from their own pockets — are accused of theft. They get insults instead of thanks.
(ii) Irony of faith: Lencho's faith is both admirable and misplaced. His faith in God is so strong that he writes a letter to God and expects a reply with money — which is admirably innocent. But this same blind faith makes him unable to recognise the real generosity of fellow human beings. His faith, while beautiful, makes him unjust to those who actually helped him.
Important Extra Questions
Describe the character of Lencho.
Answer
Lencho is a hardworking farmer who lives in a valley and depends on his crops for survival. He is simple, innocent, and uneducated. His most notable trait is his absolute, unwavering faith in God — he believes God will help him in his time of need, and he writes a letter to God without hesitation. He is also determined and resourceful — when disaster strikes, he doesn't give up but seeks help (from God). However, his blind faith makes him suspicious of other humans while trusting God completely. He is somewhat ungrateful — unable to recognise the kindness of the post office staff, he calls them thieves. Despite this flaw, his childlike innocence and faith make him a sympathetic character.
Describe the character of the postmaster.
Answer
The postmaster is a kind, generous, and empathetic person. When he reads Lencho's letter to God, he doesn't mock the farmer's simplicity. Instead, he is moved by Lencho's faith and decides to help. He shows genuine compassion by contributing his own money and collecting from his staff — all to preserve a stranger's faith. He is also selfless — he knows Lencho will never know who really helped him, yet he helps anyway, expecting no recognition. He signs the letter "God" because he cares more about Lencho's faith than about receiving credit. The postmaster represents the goodness of ordinary people — quiet, unrecognised generosity. The irony that he is called a crook by the very person he helped makes his character even more poignant.
What is the theme/message of the story?
Answer
The story carries multiple messages:
(i) The power of faith: Lencho's absolute faith in God, though naive, is presented as something beautiful and powerful. It inspires others (the postmaster) to act with generosity.
(ii) Unrecognised goodness: The postmaster and his staff represent the everyday heroes who help others without seeking recognition. Their kindness goes not only unacknowledged but is met with suspicion.
(iii) Irony of human nature: People often fail to see the help that comes from other humans while waiting for divine intervention. Lencho trusted God completely but couldn't trust the people around him.
(iv) Simplicity and suspicion: Excessive simplicity can lead to misplaced suspicion. Lencho's inability to consider that humans helped him leads him to falsely accuse good people.