UP Board Class 10 English Chapter 1 – A Letter to God (Prose)
UP Board Class 10 English Chapter 1 – A Letter to God (Prose)
UP Board Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 1 – A Letter to God (Prose)
Summary of the Lesson पाठ का सार
This chapter is about a farmer, Lencho and his firm faith in God. Lencho lived on the crest of a low hill with his family. He was eagerly waiting for a good rain to have a good harvest, so he could earn money for his family. As Lencho had expected, it started raining at the time of supper (dinner). He felt happy. But suddenly, the rain turned into a hailstorm, destroying all of Lencho’s corn. Lencho knew that his family would suffer because they wouldn’t have enough food.
Despite their tough situation, Lencho and his family kept on believing in God for help. With his firm faith, Lencho wrote a letter to God. He asked for a hundred pesos to plant crops and feed his family. He took the letter to the post office, addressing it to ‘God.’ After reading Lencho’s letter addressing God, the postmaster laughed. But the postmaster was a kind person and he was touched by Lencho’s strong faith. To keep Lencho’s faith alive, he gathered money from his staff and friends. He failed to collect hundred pesos and collected only seventy pesos. He, then, put the money in an envelope and signed it as ‘God’.
Next Sunday, Lencho received the money but was disappointed to find only seventy pesos. He did not believe that God made a mistake. So, he wrote another letter to God asking for the rest of the money. In this letter, he asked God not to send the money through the mail because he believed that the post office employes might have stolen his money.
यह अध्याय एक किसान, लेन्चो की ईश्वर में दृढ़ आस्था के बारे में है। लेन्वो अपने परिवार के साथ एक निचली पहाड़ी की चोटी पर रहता था। वह उत्सुकता से अच्छी वर्षा की प्रतीक्षा कर रहा था, जिससे उसकी फसल अच्छी हो सके तथा वह अपने परिवार के लिए धन अर्जित कर सके। जैसा कि लेन्चो ने अपेक्षा की थी, रात के खाने के समय बारिश शुरू हो गई। वह बहुत खुश था, लेकिन अचानक बारिश ओलावृष्टि में बदल गई, जिससे लेन्चो का मक्का का खेत पूर्ण रूप से नष्ट हो गया। लेन्वो जानता था कि उसके परिवार को कष्ट सहना पड़ेगा, क्योंकि उनके पास खाने के लिए पर्याप्त भोजन नहीं होगा।
अपनी कठिन परिस्थिति के भी बावजूद लेन्चो और उसका परिवार मदद के लिए ईश्वर पर विश्वास करता रहा। अपने दृढ़ विश्वास के साथ, लेन्चो ने भगवान को एक पत्र लिखा। उसने फसल उगाने और अपने परिवार का भरण-पोषण करने के लिए 100 पीसोज की माँग की। वह उस पत्र को डाकघर ले गया, जिसमें उसने पते के रूप में ‘भगवान’ लिखा। उस पत्र को पढ़ने के बाद पोस्टमास्टर हँस पड़ा। लेकिन पोस्टमास्टर एक दयालु व्यक्ति था और वह लेन्चो के दृढ़ विश्वास से प्रभावित हुआ। चो के विश्वास को जीवित रखने के लिए, उसने अपने कर्मचारियों और अपने दोस्तों से धन एकत्रित किया। लेकिन 100 पीसोज एकत्रित करने में असफल रहा और केवल 70 पीसोज ही एकत्र कर सका। फिर उसने उन पैसों को एक लिफाफे में रखा और उस पर ‘भगवान’ के नाम से हस्ताक्षर कर दिए।
अगले रविवार को लेन्चो को पैसे मिले, लेकिन केवल 70 पीसोज पाकर वह निराश हो गया। उसे विश्वास नहीं हुआ कि ‘भगवान’ ने गलती की है। इसलिए उसने बाकी पैसे माँगते हुए भगवान को पुनः पत्र लिखा। इस पत्र में, उसने ईश्वर से यह अनुरोध भी किया कि वे डाक से पैसे ने भेजें, क्योंकि लेन्चो को विश्वास था कि डाकघर के कर्मचारियों ने उसके पैसे चुरा लिए होंगे।
Part A Objective Questions
Extract Based Questions
परीक्षा में पाठ्यपुस्तक Prose के पाठों से एक Extract दिया जाएगा तथा उस पर आधारित 2 Multiple Choice Questions पूछे जाएँगे, जिनके उत्तर विद्यार्थी को देने होते हैं। यहाँ पर हमने Extracts के साथ 2 अधिक Questions दिए हैं, जो केवल विद्यार्थियों के सम्पूर्ण अभ्यास के लिए हैं। परीक्षा में 1-1 अंकों के 2 ही Questions पूछे जाते हैं।
Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.
1. But suddenly a strong wind began to blow and along with the rain very large hailstones began to fall. These truly did resemble new silver coins. The boys, exposing themselves to the rain, ran out to collect the frozen pearls.
Questions
Q. 1. How did Lencho feel when he saw his fields covered with the curtain of rain?
चो ने कैसा महसूस किया, जब उसने अपने खेतों को बारिश के पर्दे से ढका हुआ देखा ?
(a) Satisfied
(b) Unsatisfied
(c) Well-pleased
(d) None of these
Ans. (a) Satisfied
Q. 2. What happened to the rain suddenly?
अचानक बारिश को क्या हुआ?
(a) It changed into hailstorm.
(b) It changed into storm.
(c) It changed into gale.
(d) None of these
Ans. (a) It changed into hailstorm.
Q. 3. Along with the rain ……… began to fall.
बारिश के साथ …….. गिरना शुरू हो गए।
(a) stones
(b) hailstones
(c) silver coins
(d) pearls
Ans. (b) hailstones
2. It was during the meal that, just as Lencho had predicted, big drops of rain began to fall. In the North-East huge mountains of clouds could be seen approaching. The air was fresh and sweet. The man went out for no other reason than to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body, and when he returned he Questions exclaimed, “These aren’t raindrops falling from the sky, they are new coins. The big drops are ten cent pieces and the little ones are fives.”
Questions
Q. 1. When did the rain begin to fall?
बारिश कब शुरू हुई?
(a) During the meal
(b) In the morning
(c) After lunch
(d) During brunch
Ans. (a) During the meal
Q. 2. Who predicted about the rain?
बारिश के बारे में भविष्यवाणी किसने की थी ?
(a) A wise man in the village
(b) His wife
(c) Lencho
(d) An old monk
Ans. (c) Lencho
Q. 3. What could be seen approaching in the North-East?
उत्तर – पूर्व दिशा से आता हुआ क्या देखा जा सकता था?
(a) Dark clouds
(b) Thunderstorm
(c) Rainbow
(d) None of these
Ans. (a) Dark clouds
3. So, in order not to shake the writer’s faith in God, the postmaster came up with an idea to answer the letter. But when he opened it, it was evident that to answer it, he needed something more than goodwill, ink and paper. But he stuck to his resolution: he asked for money from his employees, he himself gave part of his salary, and several friends of his were obliged to give something ‘for act of charity’.
Questions
Q. 1. The postmaster answered the letter
पोस्टमास्टर ने पत्र का उत्तर दिया
(a) as he was a good friend of the writer
(b) as he was dutiful
(c) as he did not want to help the writer
(d) in order not to shake the writer’s faith in God
Ans. (d) in order not to shake the writer’s faith in God
Q. 2. Who is the ‘writer’ described in the paragraph?
लेखक ने अनुच्छेद में किसका वर्णन किया है?
(a) G.L. Fuentes
(b) The Postmaster
(c) Lencho
(d) Postman
Ans. (c) Lencho
4. Immediately, Lencho went up to the window to ask for paper and ink. On the public writing-table, he started to write, with much wrinkling of his brow, caused by the effort he had to make to express his ideas. When he finished, he went to the window to buy a stamp which he licked and then affixed to the envelope with a blow of his fist. The moment the letter fell into the mailbox the postmaster went to open it. 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.”
Questions
Q. 1. The moment the letter fell into the mailbox, who went to open it?
जिस क्षण पत्र मेलबॉक्स में आया, उसे खोलने कौन गया?
(a) The postman
(b) The postmaster
(c) The clerk
(d) None of these
Ans. (b) The postmaster
Q. 2. How much money did Lencho get?
लेन्चो को कितने पैसे प्राप्त हुए?
(a) Forty pesos
(b) Fifty pesos
(c) Seventy pesos
(d) Eighty pesos
Ans. (c) Seventy pesos
Q. 3. What did Lencho ask for in his second letter?
लेन्चो ने दूसरे पत्र में क्या माँगा था ?
(a) More money
(b) Remaining amount and the request to not send it by mail
(c) Remaining amount and send it by mail only
(d) He didn’t ask for anything
Ans. (b) Remaining amount and the request to not send it by mail
5. It was nothing less than a letter to God.
‘God,’ he wrote, “If you don’t help me, my family and I will go hungry this year. I need a hundred pesos in order to sow my field again and to live until the crop comes, because the hailstorm “
Questions
Q. 1. …….. wrote a letter a God.
भगवान को पत्र …….. ने लिखा था।
(a) The postmaster
(b) A postman
(c) A child
(d) Lencho
Ans. (d) Lencho
Q. 2. He needed a hundred pesos in order to ……..
उसे ……. के लिए 100 पीसोज की आवश्यकता थी ।
(a) purchase a new field
(b) water his field
(c) sow his field again and to live until the crop comes
(d) do some business instead of farming
Ans. (c) sow his field again and to live until the crop comes
6. One of the employees, who was a postman and also helped at the post office, went to his boss laughing heartily and showed him the letter to God. Never in his career as a postman had he known that address. The postmaster-a fat, amiable fellow- also broke out laughing, but almost immediately he turned serious and, tapping the letter on his desk, commented, ‘What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote ‘this letter. Starting up a correspondence with God!”
Questions
Q. 1. The postman showed ……… to his boss.
डाकिए ने अपने बॉस को ………. दिखाया।
(a) a pen
(b) a stamp paper
(c) an inkpot
(d) a letter
Ans. (d) a letter
Q. 2. The postmaster was
पोस्टमास्टर …….. था।
(a) a fraud
(b) an amiable fellow
(c) an intelligent employee
(d) a dishonest person
Ans. (b) an amiable fellow
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Q. 1. Where was Lencho’s house situated?
(a) At the bottom of the hill
(b) At the top of a low hill
(c) At the top of a plateau
(d) In a city
Ans. (b) At the top of a low hill
Q. 2. Whose house was the only house in the entire valley?
(a) Postmaster’s house
(b) Lencho’s house
(c) Farmer’s house
(d) None of these
Ans. (b) Lencho’s house.
Q. 3. Lencho’s field was full of …….
(a) riped maize
(b) riped corn
(c) riped potato
(d) riped rice
Ans. (b) riped corn
Q. 4. What happened during supper (dinner) time?
(a) It started raining
(b) Strong winds began
(c) Storm
(d) Snowfall began
Ans. (a) It started raining
Q. 5. Lecho wrote to God, “If you don’t help me, my family and I will go …… this year.”
(a) to the dogs
(b) dry
(c) mad
(d) hungry
Ans. (d) hungry
Q. 6. What did Lencho compare the large raindrops with?
(a) Silver coins
(b) Pearls
(c) Diamond
(d) New coins
Ans. (a) Silver coins
Q. 7. The postmaster was a …….. amiable man.
(a) rude
(b) friendly
(c) lazy
(d) fat
Ans. (b) friendly
Q. 8. Why did Lencho become angry when he counted the money?
(a) It was less than he expected
(b) God made a mistake in sending money
(c) He thought that post office employees had stolen some money.
(d) Both (a) and (c)
Ans. (d) Both (a) and (c)
Q. 9. What did Lencho think of the post office employees?
(a) Bunch of crooks
(b) Rude
(c) Unhelpful
(d) Proud
Ans. (a) Bunch of crooks
Q. 10. Lencho wrote a letter to God asking for a …….. pesos.
(a) thousand
(b) hundred
(c) fifty
(d) sixty
Ans. (b) hundred
Q. 11. What did Lencho hope for?
(a) A good shower of rain
(b) Bright sunshine
(c) A good crop
(d) Cloudy weather
Ans. (a) A good shower of rain
Q. 12. What quality of Lencho impressed the postmaster most?
(a) His foolishness
(b) His great faith in God
(c) His simplicity
(d) None of these
Ans. (b) His great faith in God
Part B Descriptive Type Questions
Short Answer Type Questions
Q. 1. What was the single hope for the family of Lencho after the hail?
ओलावृष्टि के बाद लेन्चो के परिवार की एकमात्र आशा क्या थी?
Ans. When Lencho’s field got destroyed, his single hope was the help of God. He wrote a letter to God and requested him to send hundred pesos to sow his fields again.
Q. 2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’? [NCERT]
लेन्चो ने यह क्यों कहा कि वर्षा की बूँदें ‘नए सिक्कों’ जैसी थीं?
Ans. Lencho said that the raindrops were like ‘new coins’ because with rain, his fields of corn would produce a good harvest. A good harvest would help him in earning more money.
Q. 3. What were Lencho’s feeling when the hail stopped? [NCERT]
जब ओलावृष्टिरुक गई, तब लेन्चो की भावनाएँ क्या थीं?
Ans. When the hail stopped, Lencho became sad and disappointed. He felt that no one could help his family and they would have no corn that year and would go hungry.
Q. 4. Why did Lencho write a letter to God?
लेन्चो ने ईश्वर को पत्र क्यों लिखा ?
Ans. Lencho wrote a letter to God because God was his only hope in despair. His crops had been destroyed by a hailstorm. He needed money to sow a new crop and support his family. Being a firm believer of God, he wrote a letter to God and requested him to send hundred pesos to sow his field’ again and support his family till the next crop.
Q. 5. Why did the postman laugh heartily?
डाकिया दिल खोलकर क्यों हँसा था ?
Ans. The postman laughed heartily because for the first time in his career, he saw a letter which was addressed to God. He was surprised to see how Lencho, the farmer, had such a great faith in God.
Q. 6. Why did the postmaster send a reply to Lencho’s first letter addressed to God?
पोस्टमास्टर ने लेन्चो के भगवान को सम्बोधित पहले पत्र का उत्तर क्यों दिया था ?
Or Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho?
पोस्टमास्टर ने लेन्चो को पैसे क्यों भेजे ?
Ans. The postmaster sent a reply to Lencho’s first letter addressed to God because he did not want to shake Lencho’s faith in God. It could be seen from the letter that Lencho had faith that God would help him in his time of despair.
Q. 7. What was Lencho’s remark for the post office employees?
डाकघर कर्मचारियों के लिए लेन्चो की क्या टिप्पणी थी ?
Ans. When Lencho wrote to God for the second time, he asked God to send him the rest of the money but not through the postal mail because the post office employees were a ‘bunch of crooks’.
Q. 8. What did Lencho call the employees of the post office in his letter to God? Why?
लेन्चो ने भगवान को लिखे अपने पत्र में डाकघर के कर्मचारियों को क्या कहा था और क्यों?
Ans. When Lencho opened the envelope, he found only 70 pesos even though he asked for 100 pesos. He doubted the post-office employees and thought that they had taken the rest 30 pesos, So, he called them a ‘bunch of crooks’.
Q. 9. Why was Lencho angry when he received the Letter?
जब लेन्चो को पत्र मिला तो वह नाराज क्यों हो गया ?
Or Why was Lencho angry?
लेन्वो नाराज क्यों था?
Or What made Lencho angry?
लेन्चो को किस बात पर गुस्सा आया ?
Ans. Lencho became angry when he received the letter because when he counted the money, he found only seventy pesos. He requested God for hundred pesos. According to him, God could not make a mistake. He was sure that someone had stolen thirty pesos out of the hundred sent by God. He thought that it might be the post office employees who had taken his money.
Q. 10. How did the rain change into disaster? How did it affect Lencho’s fields?
बारिश आपदा में कैसे परिवर्तित हो गई? उसने लेन्चों के खेतों को कैसे प्रभावित किया था?
Ans. The rain turned into a disaster as it was followed by strong wind and hailstones. All the crops in Lencho’s field got destroyed because of the hailstones.
Q. 11. How did the hailstones affect the field of Lencho?
ओले गिरने से लेन्चो के खेत पर क्या प्रभाव पड़ा ?
Ans. The hailstones that rained for an hour ruined Lencho’s field. After the rain, the field was white as if covered with salt. By the end, not a single leaf was left on the trees, the flowers were gone from the plants and the corn was totally destroyed.
The destruction was so devastating that Lencho did not have any crops for the survival of his family.
Q. 12. What did the postmaster do when he received Lencho’s letter? [NCERT]
जब पोस्टरमास्टर को लेन्चो का पत्र प्राप्त हुआ तो उसने क्या किया ?
Ans. After reading Lencho’s letter, the postmaster laughed but soon he became serious and was impressed by Lencho’s faith in God. He didn’t want to break Lencho’s faith in God. So, he decided to collect money from his employees and friends. He also gave a part of his salary and sent it to Lencho on behalf of God.
Q. 13. Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/why not? [NCERT]
क्या लेन्चो ने यह जानने की कोशिश कि उसे पैसे किसने भेजे थे? क्यों / क्यों नहीं?
Ans. No, Lencho did not try to find out who had sent the money to him. The reason was that he could not believe that it could be anybody other than God who would send him the money. His faith in God was so strong that he believed that only God had sent money to him.
Q. 14. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it? [NCERT, 2024]
क्या पैसों के साथ पत्र प्राप्त होने पर लेन्चो आश्चर्यचकित हुआ था ?
Ans. No, Lencho was not surprised to find a letter with money in it. He believed that God wouldn’t deny his request. He sent the letter being sure that he would receive the hundred pesos that he requested from God.
Q. 15. What quality of Lencho impressed the postmaster? How did he decide to help him? [NCERT, 2024]
गुण चो के किस ने पोस्टमास्टर को प्रभावित किया? उसने उसकी सहायता करने के लिए क्या करने का निर्णय किया?
Ans. Lencho’s unshakeable faith in God impressed the postmaster. After reading Lencho’s letter, the postmaster laughed but soon he became serious. He did not want to break Lencho’s faith in God. So, he decided to collect money from his employees and friends. He also gave a part of his salary and sent it to Lencho on behalf of God.
Q. 16. What did the boys do exposing themselves to the rain in the chapter “A Letter to God”?
पाठ “A Letter to God” में लड़कों ने बारिश में स्वयं को भिगोते हुए क्या किया था?
Ans. In the chapter ‘A Letter to God’, the boys exposed themselves to the rain by playing joyfully in the courtyard. They were enjoying the refreshing sensation of the rain on their skin.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q. 1. Draw a character sketch of Lencho.
लेन्चो का चरित्र चित्रण कीजिए ।
Ans. Introduction Lencho was a poor, hard-working farmer who was the only bread-earner of the family. His crops had been destroyed by a hailstorm. He wrote a letter to God demanding him some financial help. He had immense faith in God and believed that God would help him in his misery.
Hard-working Lencho worked hard like an animal in his fields. He was sad and disappointed by the destruction of the crops but he was ready to sow his fields again.
Optimistic Lencho was optimistic in nature. First, he believed that he would get good rain but hailstorm destroyed his fields but he did not lose his hope.
Faith in God Lencho’s had firm faith in God. He believed that God is watching everything and no one will die of hunger. God will send him the money to sow his field again and feed his family till the crops come.
Stupid and Naive He was not able to recognise the help of the post office employees. His strong faith in God made him unable to think that anyone other than God could help him.
Conclusion Lencho was a simple, hard working and innocent farmer who had immense faith in God. This faith made him ignorant of the helpfulness and kindness of other people.
Q. 2. Write a character sketch of the postmaster.
पोस्टमास्टर का चरित्र चित्रण लिखिए।
Ans. Introduction The postmaster was a fat, amiable and kind man. He was a sensible and a compassionate human being who was amazed by the firm faith in God that is showed by Lencho. He decided to help him.
Kind and Sensitive The postmaster was a kind and sensitive man. He understood the misery of Lencho and got ready to help him. He was able to understand people’s problems and tried to solve them.
Determined It was not easy for him to fulfill the demand of the money but the postmaster was determined to help Lencho. He requested his employees and a few friends to contribute for charity. He himself gave a part of his salary.
Sympathetic The postmaster did not know anything about the writer of the letter but he had sympathy for him and knew that the writer really needed help.
Generous and Religious The postmaster was a generous man and had faith in God. He did not want the faith of Lencho to be shattered. So, being a religious man, he helped Lencho on behalf of God.
Conclusion The postmaster was a kind hearted, sympathetic and generous person. Even though he did not have enough money to send to Lencho, he was ready to help someone in need.
Q. 3. Bring about Lencho’s immense faith in God. चो का ईश्वर में असीम विश्वास का वर्णन कीजिए।
Ans. Lencho had immense faith in God. This is visible when his crops got destroyed and he had no means of earning a livelihood. In such a situation, Lencho believed that God is the only one who will help him. So, he wrote a letter to him asking him to send hundred pesos so that he could sow his field again. He dropped the letter in the mail.
Later, when Lencho received the letter with the money-seventy pesos, he could not believe that God had made a mistake. He blamed the post office workers for the lack of money, but did not find fault in God.
Q. 4. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation? [NCERT]
लेन्चो की सोच के अनुसार, शेष धनराशि किसने ले ली थी? इस परिस्थिति में व्यंग्योक्ति (विडम्बन) क्या है?
Ans. Lencho thinks that the post office employees have taken the rest of the money because he had asked for a hundred pesos from God but in the letter there were only seventy pesos. He believed that God could not make such a mistake. So, he assumed that the post office employees had stolen the money. The irony in the situation is that Lencho suspects those people who helped him in his problem despite his demand being not an easy one to fulfil. They tried to keep his faith in God alive. In the process, they themselves have been called a ‘bunch of crooks’ and gotten accused of stealing the money that God had sent Lencho.
Q. 5. There are two kinds of conflict in the story between humans and nature and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?
कहानी में दो प्रकार के टकराव हैं— मनुष्य और प्रकृति के बीच और स्वयं मनुष्यों के बीच। इन टकरावों का वर्णन किस प्रकार किया गया है?
Ans. The conflict between humans and nature is illustrated by the destruction of Lencho’s crop by the hailstorm. Lencho was a hard working farmer who was expecting rain to have a good crop but hailstones destroyed everything. Nature in the form of hailstones is in conflict with a human. The story also illustrates the conflict between humans themselves. The postmaster, alongwith his employees and friends, collected the money for Lencho that he had asked from God.
However, when Lencho receives it and finds it to be less, he blames the employees of the postoffice to have taken out his money. He calls them a ‘bunch of crooks’. This shows that man does not have faith in man, thereby giving rise to this conflict.
Q. 6. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho?
पोस्टमास्टर ने लेन्चो को पैसे क्यों भेजे ?
Ans. When the postmaster read Lencho’s letter, he realised Lencho’s firm belief and faith in God. He did not want this faith to be broken and therefore decided to send money to Lencho.
In order to collect the money that Lencho had demanded, the postmaster tried his best. He asked for help from his employees and friends. He even gave a part of his salary. Finally, he was able to collect 70 pesos.
To maintain Lencho’s faith in God, the postmaster signed the letter as ‘God’ so that Lencho would believe that God had helped him.
Q. 7. What circumstances made Lencho write a letter to God? What does this act show about him?
किन परिस्थितियों के कारण लेन्चो ने भगवान को पत्र लिखा था ? यह कार्य उसके बारे में क्या दर्शाता है ?
Ans. Lencho was expecting a downpour to get a good harvest. Unfortunately, the rain changed into a hailstorm. Along with the rain, very large hailstones began to fall. The leaves, trees and the flowers were destroyed. The hail had left nothing. The corn was totally destroyed.’ He did not have enough money to sow his fields again and feed his family. The destruction of his crops worried Lencho. There was only God, who could help him.
Lencho was a highly religious person and had an unshaken faith in God. So, he decided to write a letter to God. He wrote that he needed immediate help and without God’s help, his family would face starvation. His act shows that Lencho did not know anyone else except ‘God who could help him. His faith was also so strong that he was absolutely sure that God would never deny his request and would help him.