NCERT Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 1: A Letter to God by G.L. Fuentes is one of the most important chapters in the CBSE Class 10 Board examination syllabus. Below you will find the complete detailed chapter summary, line-by-line explanation, NCERT textbook question answers (Oral Comprehension Check & Thinking about the Text), character sketches, and high-yield board exam questions, along with free PDF download options.
Quick Chapter Navigation:
Read & Download NCERT Class 10 English Chapter 1 PDF
📥 Official NCERT Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 1 PDF
Direct official NCERT 2026–27 rationalised edition • High-definition printable PDF • Zero signup
1. Detailed Chapter Summary: A Letter to God
A Letter to God, written by Mexican writer Gregorio López Fuentes (G.L. Fuentes), illustrates the immense power of innocent faith and the profound irony of human misunderstanding.
1. Lencho’s Hope and the Ruined Harvest: Lencho was a simple, dedicated farmer living on the crest of a low hill in an isolated valley. His family depended on his cornfield, which was blooming with flowers and required only a good shower of rain. When clouds gathered in the north-east, raindrops began falling, which Lencho joyfully compared to “new coins” (the big drops as ten-cent pieces and the small ones as five-cent pieces). However, the joy quickly vanished as a violent wind arose and large hailstones poured for an entire hour, blanketing the whole valley in white like salt. The entire harvest was destroyed, leaving not a single leaf on the trees.
2. Unwavering Faith in God: Lencho and his family faced starvation. Yet, in their hearts lay one supreme hope: help from God. Lencho believed that God’s eyes see everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience. Despite having limited literacy, Lencho wrote a letter addressed directly to “God”, requesting 100 pesos to sow his field again and survive until the new crop arrived.
3. The Postmaster’s Act of Charity: Seeing a letter addressed to God, a postman laughed and brought it to the postmaster. The postmaster—a fat, amiable, and sensible man—initially chuckled, but immediately grew serious. He marveled at Lencho’s absolute, unshakable faith and decided not to break it. Since answering required more than just goodwill, ink, and paper, the postmaster gave up part of his own salary and asked his fellow employees and friends for donations. Together, they managed to gather 70 pesos, put it in an envelope addressed to Lencho, and signed it simply: “God”.
4. The Climax and the Irony: When Lencho collected the letter the following Sunday, he showed not the slightest surprise upon seeing the money—such was his certainty. But when he counted it, he became furious. God could not have made a mistake, nor could He have denied Lencho what he requested! Lencho immediately grabbed paper and ink and wrote a second letter. Once he dropped it into the mailbox, the postmaster opened it eagerly. The letter read: “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.”
2. Oral Comprehension Check: Solved Questions & Answers
Q1. What did Lencho hope for?
Ans: Lencho hoped for a downpour or at least a shower of rain for his field of ripe corn, which promised a bountiful harvest.
Q2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?
Ans: Lencho compared raindrops to new coins because the rain was essential for a rich crop harvest. A good harvest would bring prosperity and financial earnings to his family; therefore, he viewed the raindrops as valuable currency.
Q3. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?
Ans: The gentle rain suddenly changed into a severe storm when strong winds began blowing and huge hailstones began falling. The hailstorm lasted for an hour across the valley, covering the land in white like a sheet of salt and completely destroying Lencho’s entire corn crop and flowers.
Q4. What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?
Ans: When the hailstorm stopped, Lencho’s soul was filled with profound sorrow and despair. Looking at his barren field, he remarked that even a plague of locusts would have left more than this, and he feared that his family would go hungry that year.
Q5. Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
Ans: Lencho had unquestioning faith in God, believing that God sees everything, even one’s innermost thoughts. To overcome his despair, he wrote a letter directly to God asking for 100 pesos to resow his fields and feed his family.
Q6. Who read the letter?
Ans: The postmaster read the letter after an amused postman brought it to his desk.
Q7. What did the postmaster do then?
Ans: The postmaster was deeply touched by the writer’s profound faith. To keep Lencho’s faith in God intact, he collected 70 pesos by contributing part of his salary and collecting contributions from his colleagues and friends as an act of charity, then mailed it to Lencho signed “God”.
Q8. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
Ans: No, Lencho was not at all surprised to receive the letter and money. His faith in God was so total and firm that he considered receiving the money a natural response from the Almighty.
Q9. What made him angry?
Ans: When Lencho counted the money, he found only 70 pesos instead of the 100 pesos he had requested. Convinced that God could neither make a counting error nor deny his plea, he believed that the post office employees had stolen the missing 30 pesos.
3. Thinking About the Text: Textbook NCERT Solutions
Q1. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation?
Ans: Lencho thinks that the post office employees stole the remaining 30 pesos from the envelope.
The Irony: Irony is an unexpected contrast between expectation and reality. In this story, the postmaster and post office employees demonstrated extraordinary kindness, sacrifice, and generosity by donating their hard-earned money to help a stranger. Yet, Lencho suspects those very benefactors of being dishonest and labels them a “bunch of crooks.”
Q2. Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is?
Ans: In today’s realistic and skeptical world, it is extremely rare to find someone with Lencho’s blind, innocent simplicity. Lencho can be characterized as:
- Unquestioningly Devout: He possesses absolute, childlike faith in the Almighty.
- Naive & Simple-Minded: He believes God can literally receive postal mail and send currency notes.
- Hardworking: He works tirelessly like an ox in his fields to provide for his family.
- Ungrateful (Due to Ignorance): Because of his tunnel vision, he lacks the worldly awareness to realize that humans—not divine hands—sent the money.
Q3. There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these illustrated?
Ans:
- Conflict between Humans and Nature: Demonstrated when Lencho’s entire hard work is wiped out in minutes by a devastating hailstorm. Despite all human effort, man remains helpless against the destructive fury of nature.
- Conflict between Humans Themselves: Illustrated when Lencho doubts the integrity of the postal workers. Despite their selfless humanitarian deed, Lencho distrusts them and calls them thieves due to suspicion and lack of communication.
4. Character Sketches for Board Examination
| Character | Dominant Traits | Significance in the Story |
|---|---|---|
| Lencho | Hardworking, deeply religious, naive, unquestioning faith, narrow perspective. | Represents uncorrupted innocence and immense faith, but also highlights how extreme naivety can lead to misjudging human kindness. |
| The Postmaster | Amiable, compassionate, generous, empathetic, noble-hearted. | Represents true Christian and human charity. He steps in quietly to preserve a stranger’s spiritual hope without seeking fame or recognition. |
5. High-Yield Board Exam Questions (Short & Long Answer)
1. “Faith can move mountains, but what should we put our faith in?” Discuss with reference to Lencho’s story. (5 Marks)
Model Answer: Lencho had monumental faith in God, believing that divine power would rescue his starving family. However, his faith lacked practical worldly insight. While his faith inspired the postal staff to practice charity, his blind devotion blinded him to the goodness of humanity. The story teaches that faith in God should inspire faith in our fellow human beings, as divine assistance often manifests through compassionate human deeds.
2. Why did the postmaster sign the letter as “God”?
Model Answer: The postmaster wanted to ensure that Lencho’s unwavering belief in God remained completely intact. If he had signed his own name, Lencho would have known humans sent the money, potentially diminishing his extraordinary spiritual trust.