English literature begins with stories that touch the heart and challenge the mind. NCERT Solutions Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 1 , A Letter to God, introduces students to a moving tale that explores the depths of human faith and the ironies of life. Written by G.L. Fuentes, the story revolves around Lencho, a simple farmer whose unwavering belief in God leads him to write a letter seeking divine help after a hailstorm destroys his crops. The chapter examines themes of faith, innocence, compassion, and irony, while also developing critical reading and comprehension skills. This chapter is part of the comprehensive NCERT Solutions Class 10 English First Flight series, which covers all chapters in detail.
The NCERT Solutions for A Letter to God provided here offer detailed, step-by-step explanations for all textbook questions, helping students strengthen their understanding of the story's plot, characters, and themes, clear doubts effectively, and prepare efficiently for both school exams and board examinations.
Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 1 Question Answer
Q.
What did Lencho hope for?
Q.
Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?
Q.
How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?
Q.
What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?
Q.
Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
Q.
What did the postmaster do then?
Q.
Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
Q.
Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?
Q.
Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?
Q.
Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?
Q.
Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation? (Remember that the irony of a situation is an unexpected aspect of it. An ironic situation is strange or amusing because it is the opposite of what is expected.)
Q.
Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is? You may select appropriate words from the box to answer the question.
|
greedy naive stupid ungrateful
selfish comical unquestioning
|
Q.
There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?
Q.
There are different names in different parts of the world for storms, depending on their nature. Can you match the names in the box with their descriptions below, and fill in the blanks? You may use a dictionary to help you.
|
gale whirlwind cyclone
hurricane tornado typhoon
|
1. A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle:
__ __ c __ __ __ __
2. An extremely strong wind : __ a __ __
3. A violent tropical storm with very strong winds : __ __ p __ __ __ __
4. A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel:
__ __ __ n __ __ __
5. A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic
Ocean: __ __ r __ __ __ __ __ __
6. A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and
causes a lot of damage: __ __ __ __ l __ __ __ __
Q.
Match the sentences in Column A with the meanings of ‘hope’ in Column B.
|
A
|
B
|
|
1. Will you get the subjects you want
to study in college?
I hope so.
2. I hope you don’t mind my saying
this, but I don’t like the way you
are arguing.
3. This discovery will give new hope
to HIV/AIDS sufferers.
4. We were hoping against hope that
the judges would not notice our
mistakes.
5. I called early in the hope of
speaking to her before she went
to school.
6. Just when everybody had given up
hope, the fishermen came back,
seven days after the cyclone.
|
– a feeling that something good will
probably happen
– thinking that this would happen
(It may or may not have happened.)
– stopped believing that this good
thing would happen
– wanting something to happen
(and thinking it quite possible)
– showing concern that what you
say should not offend or disturb
the other person: a way of being
polite
– wishing for something to happen,
although this is very unlikely
|
Q.
Join the sentences given below using who, whom, whose, which, as suggested.
1. I often go to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India. (which)
2. My mother is going to host a TV show on cooking. She cooks very well. (who)
3. These sportspersons are going to meet the President. Their performance has been excellent. (whose)
4. Lencho prayed to God. His eyes see into our minds. (whose)
5. This man cheated me. I trusted him. (whom)
Q.
Find sentences in the story with negative words, which express the following ideas emphatically.
1. The trees lost all their leaves.
____________________________________
2. The letter was addressed to God himself.
______________________________________
3. The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.
______________________________________
Q.
In pairs, find metaphors from the story to complete the table below. Try to say what qualities are being compared. One has been done for you.
|
Object
|
Metaphor
|
Quality or Feature Compared
|
|
Cloud
|
Huge mountains of clouds
|
The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains
|
|
Raindrops
|
|
|
|
Hailstones
|
|
|
|
Locusts
|
|
|
|
|
|
An epidemic (a disease)
that spreads very rapidly
and leaves many people dead
|
|
|
An ox of a man
|
|
Q.
Have you ever been in great difficulty, and felt that only a miracle couldhelp you? How was your problem solved? Speak about this in class withyour teacher.
Q.
Lencho suffered first due to drought and then by floods. Our country is also facing such situations in the recent years. There is flood and there is drought. There is a need to save water through water harvesting. Design a poster for your area on how to save water during summer and when it is available in excess.
Download the PDF of NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 1 - A Letter to God
Class 10 Chapter 1 English First Flight Questions & Answers - A Letter to God
Oral Comprehension Check (Page 5)
Q1. What did Lencho hope for?
Solution: Lencho hoped for a downpour as he believed that the only thing needed by the ripe corn that he had planted was a shower.
Q2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?
Solution: Lencho was awaiting rain because his crop was ready for harvest. He expected a good harvest out of the corn. He compared the raindrops’ appearance to new coins as good harvest would result in prosperity.
Q3. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?
Solution: As it was raining, suddenly a strong wind began to blow, and very large hailstones began to fall along with the rain. The hail destroyed Lencho’s fields.
Q4.What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?
Solution: Lencho's soul was filled with sadness when he saw the field destroyed in the hail. He was dejected when he saw all his work had come to nothing. He was worried about the stock of food for the coming year.
Oral Comprehension Check (Page 6)
Q1. Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
Solution: Lencho had immense faith in God. He believed that God’s eyes see everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience. He wrote a letter to God saying that he needed a hundred pesos to sow his field again.
Q2. Who read the letter?
Solution: The postmaster read the letter.
Q3. What did the postmaster do then?
Solution: The postmaster first laughed. But then he became serious almost immediately. He was moved by the letter-writer’s faith in God and did not wish to shake this faith. So, he decided to collect some money for Lencho.
Oral Comprehension Check (Page 7)
Q1. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
Solution: No, Lencho was not at all surprised to see the letter from God with money inside it. His faith in God was so strong that he knew that God would surely listen to him and reply to his letter positively with the full amount.
Q2. What made him angry?
Solution: He was angry as he found only seventy pesos in response to his request of a hundred pesos. He was confident that God could neither make a mistake nor deny him what he had requested. He concluded that the post office employees must have taken the remaining thirty pesos.
Thinking about the Text (Page 7-8)
Q1. Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?
Solution:
Lencho has complete faith in God. The following sentences in the story 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, even what is deep in one’s conscience.
(iii) “God,” he wrote, “if you don’t help me, my family and I will go hungry this year.”
(iv) God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested.
(v) It said: “God: of the money that I asked for, only seventy pesos reached me. Send me the rest, since I need it very much.”
Q2. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?
Solution: The postmaster is moved by Lencho’s strong faith in God, so, he decides to send money to Lencho. Moreover, he does not want to shake Lencho’s faith in God; so, he signs the letter ‘God’.
Q3. Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?
Solution: No, Lencho did not try to find out who had sent the money to him. The reason was that he had great faith in God and never suspected that anyone else other than God would grant his wish.
Q4. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation? (Remember that the irony of a situation is an unexpected aspect of it. An ironic situation is strange or amusing because it is the opposite of what is expected.)
Solution: Lencho thinks that the post office employees have taken the money. Actually, it is the post office employees who send the money to Lencho; however, he thinks they have stolen thirty pesos, and calls them crooks. This situation has an element of irony.
Q5. Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is? You may select appropriate words from the box to answer the question.
greedy naive stupid ungrateful
selfish comical unquestioning
Solution: I think there are a few people like Lencho in the real world. We see that Lencho is literate and yet he seems oblivious to the fact how his letter will reach God without any address. Some people may call him stupid and comical but, in my opinion, he is naïve and unquestioning. Unlike many who are greedy and selfish and ungrateful, Lencho asks only for his needs. He is grateful to God for helping him.
Q6. There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?
Solution: The conflict between humans and nature is illustrated when the storm and hail destroy Lencho’s crops. Lencho is dejected and gloomy because of the destruction. His reaction projects the helplessness of a man in front of the fury of the nature. The story also depicts the conflict between humans themselves.
The postmaster, along with the help of the other post office employees, sends Lencho the money that they are somehow able to collect. This act out of sheer selflessness and humanity however is not reciprocated warmly by Lencho, as he blames the same people for taking away some amount of money. Lencho’s lack of faith in his fellow human beings gives rise to this conflict.
Thinking about Language (Page 8-11)
Q1. There are different names in different parts of the world for storms, depending on their nature. Can you match the names in the box with their descriptions below, and fill in the blanks? You may use a dictionary to help you.
gale whirlwind cyclone
hurricane tornado typhoon
-
A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle:
__ __ c __ __ __ __
-
An extremely strong wind : __ a __ __
-
A violent tropical storm with very strong winds : __ __ p __ __ __ __
-
A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel:
__ __ __ n __ __ __
-
A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic
Ocean: __ __ r __ __ __ __ __ __
-
A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and
causes a lot of damage: __ __ __ __ l __ __ __ __
Solution:
- Cyclone
- Gale
- Typhoon
- Tornado
- Hurricane
- Whirlwind
Q2. Match the sentences in Column A with the meanings of ‘hope’ in Column B.
A
|
B
|
1. Will you get the subjects you want
to study in college?
I hope so.
2. I hope you don’t mind my saying
this, but I don’t like the way you
are arguing.
3. This discovery will give new hope
to HIV/AIDS sufferers.
4. We were hoping against hope that
the judges would not notice our
mistakes.
5. I called early in the hope of
speaking to her before she went
to school.
6. Just when everybody had given up
hope, the fishermen came back,
seven days after the cyclone.
|
– a feeling that something good will
probably happen
– thinking that this would happen
(It may or may not have happened.)
– stopped believing that this good
thing would happen
– wanting something to happen
(and thinking it quite possible)
– showing concern that what you
say should not offend or disturb
the other person: a way of being
polite
– wishing for something to happen,
although this is very unlikely
|
Solution:
| A |
B |
| 1. Will you get the subjects you want to study in college?
I hope so. |
- wanting something to happen (and thinking it quite possible) |
| 2. I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but I don’t like the way you are arguing |
- showing concern that what you say should not offend or disturb the other person: a way of being polite |
| 3. This discovery will give new hope to HIV/ AIDS sufferers. |
- a feeling that something good will probably happen |
| 4. We were hoping against hope that the judges would not notice our mistakes. |
- wishing for something to happen, although this is very unlikely |
| 5. I called early in the hope of speaking to her before she went to school. |
- thinking that this would happen (It may or may not have happened.) |
| 6. Just when everybody had given up hope, the fishermen came back, seven days after the cyclone. |
- stopped believing that this good thing would happen |
Q3. Join the sentences given below using who, whom, whose, which, as suggested.
-
I often go to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India. (which)
-
My mother is going to host a TV show on cooking. She cooks very well. (who)
-
These sportspersons are going to meet the President. Their performance has been excellent. (whose)
-
Lencho prayed to God. His eyes see into our minds. (whose)
-
This man cheated me. I trusted him. (whom)
Solution :
- I often go to Mumbai, which is the commercial capital of India.
- My mother, who cooks very well, is going to host a TV show on cooking.
- These sportspersons, whose performance has been excellent, are going to meet the President
- Lencho prayed to God, whose eyes see into our minds.
- This man, whom I trusted, cheated me
Q4. Find sentences in the story with negative words, which express the following ideas emphatically.
-
The trees lost all their leaves.
____________________________________
-
The letter was addressed to God himself.
______________________________________
-
The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.
______________________________________
Solution:
- The trees lost all their leaves.
Not a leaf remained on the trees.
- The letter was addressed to God himself.
It was nothing less than a letter to God.
- The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.
Never in his career as a postman had he known that address.
Q5. In pairs, find metaphors from the story to complete the table below. Try to say what qualities are being compared. One has been done for you.
Object
|
Metaphor
|
Quality or Feature Compared
|
Cloud
|
Huge mountains of clouds
|
The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains
|
Raindrops
|
|
|
Hailstones
|
|
|
Locusts
|
|
|
|
|
An epidemic (a disease)
that spreads very rapidly
and leaves many people dead
|
|
An ox of a man
|
|
Solution:
| Object |
Metaphor |
Quality or Feature Compared |
| Cloud |
Huge mountains of clouds |
The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains |
| Raindrops |
A curtain of rain |
The draping or covering of an area by a curtain |
| Hailstones |
The frozen pearls |
The resemblance in colour and hardness of a pearl |
| Locusts |
A plague of locusts |
The consequences (destruction) of plague |
| Locusts |
A plague of locusts |
An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and leaves many people dead |
| Man |
An ox of a man |
The working of an ox in the fields (hard work) |
Speaking (Page 11)
Q1. Have you ever been in great difficulty, and felt that only a miracle couldhelp you? How was your problem solved? Speak about this in class withyour teacher.
Solution: There are times when people feel frustrated. At times we are unable to find solutions to some problems that we face in life. I would like to share such an instance from my life. It was when my mother was diagnosed with kidney failure. The entire family was shocked to hear about it. There were only two options available to save her life. One was to go for a kidney transplant and the other was to opt for dialysis. Dialysis was a temporary solution. The most difficult thing was to find a matching kidney for transplant. My father knocked at all the doors, but we couldn’t get a matching kidney. We thought only God could help us. We prayed earnestly for many days trusting in God’s mercy, but nothing happened. When we lost all the hope, we got a call from a hospitals informing that a matching kidney was available. We were overjoyed and soon we arranged for the operation. The operation was successful. My mother is healthy now. She is not active as before, but her presence is enough for us to live happily.
Writing (Page 12)
Q1. Lencho suffered first due to drought and then by floods. Our country is also facing such situations in the recent years. There is flood and there is drought. There is a need to save water through water harvesting. Design a poster for your area on how to save water during summer and when it is available in excess.
Solution:
NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 1 - FAQs
Q1. What is the central message of "A Letter to God"?
The story conveys that innocent faith can be incredibly powerful, even if it is blind to reality. Lencho's complete trust in God remains unshaken despite his misfortune. The narrative also highlights the kindness of strangers through the postmaster's compassionate act, while ironically showing how Lencho misunderstands their help. It teaches us about the complexity of human nature—how good intentions can be misinterpreted and how faith, while admirable, should be balanced with awareness.
Q2. Why did Lencho call the post office employees "a bunch of crooks"?
Lencho asked God for 100 pesos in his letter, but the post office employees could only collect 70 pesos for him. When Lencho received the money, his faith in God was so absolute that he never doubted God would send the exact amount. He immediately concluded that the post office workers must have stolen the remaining 30 pesos. This ironic twist reveals Lencho's simple worldview—he trusted God completely but suspected the very people who had helped him out of kindness.
Q3. How does this chapter help students prepare for board exams?
"A Letter to God" contains important questions on character analysis, theme identification, and comprehension that frequently appear in board examinations. Students learn to write character sketches (of Lencho and the postmaster), explain the story's moral lessons, and analyze literary elements like irony and contrast. The NCERT solutions provide structured answers with appropriate length and depth, helping students understand the expected format and earn full marks in literature questions.