✉️ A Letter to God – Summary (Class 10 English)
👤 Author Introduction – Gregorio López y Fuentes
Gregorio López y Fuentes (1897–1966) was a Mexican novelist, journalist, and teacher. He is known for his realistic stories that portray the life of poor farmers and villagers in rural Mexico. In “A Letter to God”, he presents a unique tale of faith through the character of Lencho, a poor farmer who believes so strongly in God that he writes a letter asking for financial help after a natural calamity destroys his crops.
Image: Illustration – Lencho writing his letter
📖 Summary in English
This story revolves around Lencho, a poor farmer who lived with his family on the top of a low hill. He worked very hard in his fields and was waiting for good rain so that his crops could give him a good harvest.
Finally, rain came and Lencho’s family was very happy. But soon, the pleasant rain turned into a hailstorm. Within an hour, the entire crop was destroyed. Lencho and his family were heartbroken. He believed that without this crop, the family would starve.
Lencho had unshakable faith in God. He strongly believed that God sees everything and helps those who are in need. Therefore, he decided to write a letter to God asking for 100 pesos to sow his field again and to support his family until the next harvest.
When the postmaster read the letter, he was touched by Lencho’s deep faith. To preserve this faith, the postmaster and his employees collected money and sent it to Lencho. But they could collect only 70 pesos.
When Lencho received the money, he was not surprised. His belief in God was so strong that he thought God must have sent the full amount. However, when he counted and found it less, he became angry and wrote another letter to God. This time, he requested God not to send the money through the post office, because he believed that the post office employees were dishonest and had stolen the remaining money.
Image: Hailstorm destroying Lencho’s crops
📖 Summary in Hindi
“A Letter to God” कहानी में लेन्चो नामक एक गरीब किसान की कहानी है, जो अपने परिवार के साथ पहाड़ी पर रहता था। वह मेहनती किसान था और अच्छी फसल के लिए बारिश का इंतजार कर रहा था।
जब वर्षा हुई तो पूरा परिवार खुश हो गया। लेकिन थोड़ी ही देर में वर्षा ओलों में बदल गई और लगभग एक घंटे तक ओले गिरते रहे। खेत की पूरी फसल बर्बाद हो गई। लेन्चो बेहद दुखी हो गया क्योंकि अब उसके परिवार के पास खाने के लिए कुछ नहीं बचा था।
लेन्चो का भगवान पर अटूट विश्वास था। उसे लगता था कि भगवान सब कुछ देखता है और मुसीबत में हमेशा मदद करता है। इसलिए उसने भगवान को पत्र लिखा और 100 पेसो माँगे ताकि वह दोबारा बुवाई कर सके और परिवार का पालन-पोषण कर सके।
डाकघर के पोस्टमास्टर ने जब पत्र पढ़ा तो वह लेन्चो की गहरी आस्था देखकर प्रभावित हुआ। उसने और अन्य कर्मचारियों ने चंदा इकट्ठा किया और उसे पैसे भेजे। लेकिन वे केवल 70 पेसो ही जुटा पाए।
लेन्चो ने जब पैसे गिने तो वह नाराज़ हो गया। उसे यकीन था कि भगवान ने पूरे 100 पेसो भेजे होंगे लेकिन डाकघर के कर्मचारियों ने बाकी पैसे चुरा लिए। इसलिए उसने फिर से भगवान को पत्र लिखा और उनसे आग्रह किया कि अगली बार पैसे सीधे भेजें, डाकघर के माध्यम से नहीं।
📝 Key Points to Remember
- Lencho was a poor farmer whose only hope was his cornfield.
- A hailstorm destroyed his entire crop.
- He wrote a letter to God asking for 100 pesos.
- The postmaster and employees collected 70 pesos to help him.
- Lencho’s faith in God remained unshaken.
- Irony: He accused the post office employees of stealing the rest.