First Flight — Prose • Class 10 • NCERT

Chapter 1: A Letter to God

📖 Prose Class 10 ✍️ G.L. Fuentes NCERT First Flight

📖 Chapter Summary

Lencho, a hardworking farmer, lives in a small valley with his family. His house is on the top of a low hill and from there he can see the river and his cornfield. He hopes for a good rain for his corn harvest. It rains heavily, but soon hailstones destroy the entire crop. Left with no hope, Lencho writes a letter to God asking for 100 pesos. The postmaster, moved by Lencho's faith, collects money from his employees and sends 70 pesos. When Lencho receives less money, he becomes angry and writes another letter to God asking for the remaining 30 pesos, but warns God not to send it through the post office because the post office employees are 'a bunch of crooks'. The story highlights Lencho's unshakable faith in God and also the postmaster's kindness.

📖 NCERT Chapter — First Flight

📖

Chapter 1

A Letter to God

NCERT First Flight • Class 10

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✅ NCERT Exercise Solutions

🎤

Oral Comprehension Check

9 Q

Q1. What did Lencho hope for?

Ans: Lencho hoped for a good rain to get a good harvest from his cornfield.

Q2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like 'new coins'?

Ans: Because the rain would bring a good harvest, which would bring money — like new coins.

Q3. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho's fields?

Ans: The rain turned into hailstones. The hail rained for an hour and destroyed the entire cornfield.

Q4. What were Lencho's feelings when the hail stopped?

Ans: Lencho was filled with sadness and despair. He felt all their hard work was wasted.

Q5. Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?

Ans: Lencho had deep faith in God. He wrote a letter to God asking for 100 pesos.

Q6. Who read the letter?

Ans: The postmaster read the letter.

Q7. What did the postmaster do then?

Ans: The postmaster collected money from his employees and himself contributed part of his salary. He sent 70 pesos to Lencho.

Q8. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?

Ans: No, he was not surprised at all. He had complete faith that God would reply.

Q9. What made him angry?

Ans: He became angry because he received only 70 pesos instead of 100. He thought the post office employees had stolen the rest.

💭

Thinking about the Text

5 Q

Q1. Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?

Ans: Lencho has complete faith in God. Sentences like 'God, if you don't help me, my family and I will go hungry this year' and 'Lencho's soul was filled with sadness... help from God' show his deep faith.

Q2. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter 'God'?

Ans: The postmaster was moved by Lencho's faith in God. He didn't want to shake it. So he collected money and signed the letter 'God' to keep Lencho's faith intact.

Q3. Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?

Ans: No, Lencho did not try to find out. He believed with all his heart that God had sent the money.

Q4. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation?

Ans: Lencho thinks the post office employees have taken the rest of the money. The irony is that the same post office employees who helped him are accused of stealing.

Q5. Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is?

Ans: Yes, there are people with unshakable faith like Lencho. He is a simple, hardworking, deeply religious, but also naive and stubborn person.

✏️

Fill in the Blanks

8 Q

Q1. Lencho was a hardworking ______ who lived with his family in a small house.

Ans: farmer

Q2. Lencho's house was the only one in the entire ______.

Ans: valley

Q3. When the rain turned into hailstones, Lencho's cornfield was completely ______.

Ans: destroyed

Q4. Lencho had complete ______ in God.

Ans: faith

Q5. Lencho asked God for ______ pesos in his first letter.

Ans: 100

Q6. The postmaster and his employees collected ______ pesos for Lencho.

Ans: 70

Q7. Lencho called the post office employees 'a bunch of ______'.

Ans: crooks

Q8. In his second letter, Lencho asked God for the remaining ______ pesos.

Ans: 30

🔗

Match the Following

6 Q

Q1. 1. Lencho → ?

Ans: A hardworking farmer with deep faith in God

Q2. 2. Postmaster → ?

Ans: A kind and generous man who helps Lencho

Q3. 3. Hailstones → ?

Ans: Destroyed the entire cornfield

Q4. 4. 100 pesos → ?

Ans: Amount Lencho asked from God

Q5. 5. 70 pesos → ?

Ans: Amount Lencho actually received

Q6. 6. 'A bunch of crooks' → ?

Ans: What Lencho called the post office employees

📚

Relative Clauses (Grammar)

7 Q

Q1. Combine: Lencho had a house. It stood on a low hill.

Ans: Lencho had a house **which** stood on a low hill.

Q2. Combine: The postmaster was a kind man. He read the letter.

Ans: The postmaster, **who** read the letter, was a kind man.

Q3. Combine: Lencho wrote a letter. It was addressed to God.

Ans: Lencho wrote a letter **that** was addressed to God.

Q4. Combine: The employees collected money. They worked at the post office.

Ans: The employees **who** collected money worked at the post office.

Q5. Combine: This is the valley. Lencho lived in it.

Ans: This is the valley **where** Lencho lived.

Q6. Complete: The man ______ (who/which) wrote the letter had great faith.

Ans: The man **who** wrote the letter had great faith.

Q7. Complete: This is the reason ______ (why/when) Lencho felt angry.

Ans: This is the reason **why** Lencho felt angry.

➕

Additional Exercises

4 Q

Q1. Rewrite using 'so...that': Lencho was very angry. He could not control himself.

Ans: Lencho was **so** angry **that** he could not control himself.

Q2. Change into indirect speech: Lencho said to his sons, 'We will have no corn this year.'

Ans: Lencho told his sons that they would have no corn that year.

Q3. Change into passive voice: The postmaster collected the money.

Ans: The money was collected by the postmaster.

Q4. Use the correct form of verb: Lencho ______ (write) a letter to God yesterday.

Ans: Lencho **wrote** a letter to God yesterday.

❓ Important Questions

Q1. Why did Lencho write a letter to God?

Because his crops were destroyed by hail, and he had no food. He had deep faith that God would help him.

Q2. What did Lencho do when he received less money?

He wrote another letter to God asking for the remaining 30 pesos and warned him not to send it through the post office.

Q3. What does the story tell us about Lencho's faith?

It shows that Lencho had complete and unshakable faith in God.

📄 Previous Year Questions (PYQ)

Board exam mein pichle saalon mein aaye questions — practice ke liye best.

2024 Q1. Why did Lencho's happiness turn into despair?

Because the rain turned into hailstones and destroyed his entire cornfield, leaving him without food.

2024 Q2. What impression do you form of the postmaster after reading the story?

The postmaster was a kind and generous man who respected Lencho's faith and helped him with money.

2023 Q3. Who does Lencho call 'a bunch of crooks' and why?

He calls the post office employees 'a bunch of crooks' because he thinks they stole the 30 pesos from the money God sent.

2023 Q4. What is the theme of the story 'A Letter to God'?

The story highlights the importance of faith, the kindness of strangers, and the irony in Lencho's perception.

2022 Q5. Lencho's faith in God was like a shining star. Comment.

Yes, Lencho's unwavering faith even in difficult times shows how powerful belief can be.

2022 Q6. Why did the postmaster and his employees collect money for Lencho?

They were moved by Lencho's faith in God and did not want to shake it.

2020 Q7. Give a brief character sketch of Lencho.

Lencho was a hardworking farmer, deeply faithful in God, but also naive and stubborn.

2019 Q8. Why did the postmaster send money to Lencho?

To preserve Lencho's faith in God and because he was moved by the letter.

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Lencho was a hardworking farmer who lived on the top of a low hill.

लेंचो एक मेहनती किसान था जो एक छोटी पहाड़ी की चोटी पर रहता था।

He had a cornfield and hoped for a good rain to get a good harvest.

उसके पास मक्के का खेत था और वह अच्छी फसल के लिए अच्छी बारिश की उम्मीद करता था।

One day, it started raining heavily.

एक दिन बहुत तेज़ बारिश शुरू हो गई।

Lencho was very happy and called the raindrops 'new coins'.

लेंचो बहुत खुश हुआ और उसने बारिश की बूंदों को 'नए सिक्के' कहा।

But soon, the rain turned into hailstones.

लेकिन जल्द ही, बारिश ओले में बदल गई।

The hailstorm destroyed the entire cornfield.

ओलावृष्टि ने पूरे मक्के के खेत को नष्ट कर दिया।

Lencho and his family were left with no food for the year.

लेंचो और उसका परिवार साल भर के लिए बिना भोजन के रह गए।

Lencho had deep faith in God, so he decided to write a letter to God.

लेंचो की भगवान पर गहरी आस्था थी, इसलिए उसने भगवान को पत्र लिखने का फैसला किया।

In the letter, he asked God for 100 pesos to sow his field again.

पत्र में उसने भगवान से अपने खेत को फिर से बोने के लिए 100 पेसो मांगे।

The postmaster saw the letter and was impressed by Lencho's faith.

पोस्टमास्टर ने पत्र देखा और लेंचो की आस्था से प्रभावित हुआ।

The postmaster and his employees collected 70 pesos and sent it to Lencho.

पोस्टमास्टर और उसके कर्मचारियों ने 70 पेसो इकट्ठा किए और लेंचो को भेज दिए।

When Lencho counted the money, he found only 70 pesos.

जब लेंचो ने पैसे गिने, तो उसे केवल 70 पेसो मिले।

He got angry and thought God had made a mistake.

वह गुस्सा हो गया और सोचा कि भगवान ने गलती की है।

He wrote another letter to God asking for the remaining 30 pesos.

उसने भगवान को एक और पत्र लिखा जिसमें बाकी 30 पेसो मांगे।

In the letter, he told God not to send the money through the post office.

पत्र में उसने भगवान से कहा कि पैसे डाकघर के ज़रिए न भेजें।

He called the post office employees 'a bunch of crooks'.

उसने डाकघर के कर्मचारियों को 'बदमाशों का झुंड' कहा।

The story shows Lencho's unshakable faith in God.

यह कहानी लेंचो की भगवान पर अटूट आस्था को दर्शाती है।

It also shows the kindness and generosity of the postmaster.

यह पोस्टमास्टर की दया और उदारता भी दर्शाती है।