Chapter 1: A Letter to God by G.L. Fuentes
Note for Students (ছাত্র-ছাত্ৰীসকলৰ বাবে টোকা)
“A Letter to God” is a simple yet beautiful story about unwavering faith. It introduces us to Lencho, a hardworking farmer whose life depends on his crops. When a devastating hailstorm destroys his entire field, his family faces starvation. In his moment of desperation, Lencho’s simple and absolute faith in God leads him to do something extraordinary: he writes a letter to God, asking for one hundred pesos to survive and replant his field.
The story then explores how this act of pure faith is received by the world, specifically by the post office employees. The postmaster, moved by Lencho’s belief, decides to help him. The story’s powerful and ironic ending makes us think about faith, humanity, and the different ways people see the world. As you read, pay close attention to Lencho’s character and the contrast between his simple faith and the more worldly view of the post office staff.
Assamese Translation (অসমীয়া অনুবাদ):
“A Letter to God” হৈছে অটুট বিশ্বাসৰ ওপৰত ভিত্তি কৰি লিখা এটা সহজ কিন্তু সুন্দৰ গল্প। এই গল্পটোৱে আমাক লেঞ্চো নামৰ এজন পৰিশ্ৰমী কৃষকৰ সৈতে পৰিচয় কৰাই দিয়ে, যাৰ জীৱন তেওঁৰ শস্যৰ ওপৰত নিৰ্ভৰশীল। যেতিয়া এজাক বিধ্বংসী শিলাবৃষ্টিয়ে তেওঁৰ খেতিপথাৰ সম্পূৰ্ণৰূপে ধ্বংস কৰে, তেওঁৰ পৰিয়াল অনাহাৰে থকাৰ উপক্ৰম হয়। এই নিৰাশাৰ মুহূৰ্তত, ঈশ্বৰৰ প্ৰতি থকা তেওঁৰ সৰল আৰু অটুট বিশ্বাসে তেওঁক এটা অসাধাৰণ কাম কৰিবলৈ প্ৰেৰণা দিয়ে: তেওঁ ঈশ্বৰলৈ এখন চিঠি লিখে, জীয়াই থাকিবলৈ আৰু পুনৰ খেতি কৰিবলৈ এশ পেছো বিচাৰি।
তাৰ পিছত গল্পটোৱে দেখুৱাইছে যে ডাকঘৰৰ কৰ্মচাৰীসকলে কেনেকৈ এই বিশ্বাসক গ্ৰহণ কৰে। পোষ্টমাষ্টৰজনে লেঞ্চোৰ বিশ্বাসত মুগ্ধ হৈ তেওঁক সহায় কৰাৰ সিদ্ধান্ত লয়। গল্পটোৰ শক্তিশালী আৰু ব্যংগাত্মক முடிৱে আমাক বিশ্বাস, মানৱতা আৰু জগতখনক চোৱাৰ বিভিন্ন দৃষ্টিকোণৰ বিষয়ে ভাবিবলৈ বাধ্য কৰে। পঢ়াৰ সময়ত, লেঞ্চোৰ চৰিত্ৰ আৰু তেওঁৰ সৰল বিশ্বাসৰ সৈতে ডাকঘৰৰ কৰ্মচাৰীসকলৰ সাংসাৰিক দৃষ্টিভংগীৰ পাৰ্থক্যলৈ মনোযোগ দিব।
Textual Question Answers (পাঠ্যপুথিৰ প্ৰশ্নোত্তৰ)
(Oral Comprehension Check – Page 5)
1. What did Lencho hope for?
(লেঞ্চোৱে কি আশা কৰিছিল?)
Answer: Lencho hoped for a downpour or at least a shower of rain, as his field of ripe corn needed water for a good harvest.
(অসমীয়া উত্তৰ): লেঞ্চোৱে এজাক ধাৰাসাৰ বৰষুণ বা কমেও এজাক ঝৰ্ণাৰ আশা কৰিছিল, কাৰণ তেওঁৰ পকা جوাৰৰ খেতিডৰাৰ ভাল ফচলৰ বাবে পানীৰ প্ৰয়োজন আছিল।
2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?
(লেঞ্চোৱে বৰষুণৰ টোপালবোৰক ‘নতুন মুদ্ৰা’ৰ দৰে বুলি কিয় কৈছিল?)
Answer: Lencho called the raindrops ‘new coins’ because the rain was crucial for a good harvest. A good harvest would bring him money, so he compared the big drops to ten-cent pieces and the smaller ones to five-cent pieces.
(অসমীয়া উত্তৰ): লেঞ্চোৱে বৰষুণৰ টোপালবোৰক ‘নতুন মুদ্ৰা’ বুলি কৈছিল কাৰণ ভাল ফচলৰ বাবে বৰষুণ অতি গুৰুত্বপূৰ্ণ আছিল। ভাল ফচলে তেওঁলৈ টকা আনিব, সেয়েহে তেওঁ ডাঙৰ টোপালবোৰক দহ-চেণ্টৰ মুদ্ৰা আৰু সৰুবোৰক পাঁচ-চেণ্টৰ মুদ্ৰাৰ লগত তুলনা কৰিছিল।
3. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?
(বৰষুণ কেনেকৈ সলনি হ’ল? লেঞ্চোৰ খেতিপথাৰৰ কি হ’ল?)
Answer: The rain suddenly changed into a hailstorm. A strong wind began to blow, and very large hailstones started to fall. The hailstorm lasted for an hour and completely destroyed Lencho’s fields, leaving the corn totally destroyed and the field white as if covered with salt.
(অসমীয়া উত্তৰ): বৰষুণ হঠাৎ শিলাবৃষ্টিলৈ পৰিৱৰ্তিত হ’ল। এজাক প্ৰচণ্ড বতাহ বলিবলৈ ধৰিলে আৰু বৰ ডাঙৰ শিলাবৃষ্টি হ’বলৈ ধৰিলে। শিলাবৃষ্টি এঘণ্টা ধৰি চলিল আৰু লেঞ্চোৰ খেতিপথাৰ সম্পূৰ্ণৰূপে ধ্বংস কৰি পেলালে, যাৰ ফলত খেতিডৰা নিমখেৰে ঢকাৰ দৰে বগা হৈ পৰিল।
4. What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?
(শিলাবৃষ্টি বন্ধ হোৱাৰ সময়ত লেঞ্চোৰ অনুভূতি কেনেকুৱা আছিল?)
Answer: When the hail stopped, Lencho’s soul was filled with sadness. He stood in the middle of his destroyed field and told his sons that the hail had left nothing and that they would have no corn that year.
(অসমীয়া উত্তৰ): শিলাবৃষ্টি বন্ধ হোৱাৰ পিছত লেঞ্চোৰ মন দুখেৰে ভৰি পৰিছিল। তেওঁ নিজৰ ধ্বংসপ্ৰাপ্ত খেতিপথাৰৰ মাজত থিয় হৈ পুত্ৰসকলক কৈছিল যে শিলাবৃষ্টিয়ে একোৱেই বাকী ৰখা নাই আৰু সেই বছৰ তেওঁলোকৰ কোনো শস্য নহ’ব।
(Oral Comprehension Check – Page 6)
1. Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
(লেঞ্চোৰ কাৰ ওপৰত বিশ্বাস আছিল? তেওঁ কি কৰিছিল?)
Answer: Lencho had complete and unshakable faith in God. He believed that God sees everything and would help him. He decided to write a letter to God, explaining his situation and asking for one hundred pesos.
(অসমীয়া উত্তৰ): লেঞ্চোৰ ঈশ্বৰৰ ওপৰত সম্পূৰ্ণ আৰু অটুট বিশ্বাস আছিল। তেওঁ বিশ্বাস কৰিছিল যে ঈশ্বৰে সকলো দেখে আৰু তেওঁক সহায় কৰিব। তেওঁ ঈশ্বৰলৈ এখন চিঠি লিখাৰ সিদ্ধান্ত লৈছিল, য’ত তেওঁ নিজৰ পৰিস্থিতি বৰ্ণনা কৰি এশ পেছো বিচাৰিছিল।
2. Who read the letter?
(চিঠিখন কোনে পঢ়িছিল?)
Answer: A postman first found the letter addressed to God and, laughing, showed it to the postmaster. The postmaster then read the letter.
(অসমীয়া উত্তৰ): এজন পোষ্টমেনে প্ৰথমে ঈশ্বৰৰ ঠিকনাত লিখা চিঠিখন পাইছিল আৰু হাঁহি হাঁহি পোষ্টমাষ্টৰক দেখুৱাইছিল। তাৰ পিছত পোষ্টমাষ্টৰজনে চিঠিখন পঢ়িছিল।
3. What did the postmaster do then?
(তাৰ পিছত পোষ্টমাষ্টৰজনে কি কৰিলে?)
Answer: The postmaster, deeply moved by Lencho’s faith, decided to answer the letter. He collected money from his employees, gave a part of his own salary, and asked several friends to contribute “for an act of charity.”
(অসমীয়া উত্তৰ): পোষ্টমাষ্টৰজনে, লেঞ্চোৰ বিশ্বাসত মুগ্ধ হৈ, চিঠিখনৰ উত্তৰ দিয়াৰ সিদ্ধান্ত লৈছিল। তেওঁ নিজৰ কৰ্মচাৰীসকলৰ পৰা টকা সংগ্ৰহ কৰিছিল, নিজৰ দৰমহাৰ এটা অংশ দিছিল, আৰু কেইবাজনো বন্ধুক “দানৰ কাম” হিচাপে সহায় কৰিবলৈ কৈছিল।
(Oral Comprehension Check – Page 7)
1. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
(টকা থকা চিঠিখন পাই লেঞ্চো আচৰিত হৈছিল নেকি?)
Answer: No, Lencho was not surprised at all to find a letter with money in it. His confidence and faith in God were so absolute that he expected a reply.
(অসমীয়া উত্তৰ): নহয়, টকা থকা চিঠিখন পাই লেঞ্চো অকণো আচৰিত হোৱা নাছিল। ঈশ্বৰৰ ওপৰত তেওঁৰ বিশ্বাস ইমানেই অটুট আছিল যে তেওঁ উত্তৰ পাব বুলি নিশ্চিত আছিল।
2. What made him angry?
(কিহে তেওঁক খং উঠাইছিল?)
Answer: Lencho became angry when he counted the money and found only seventy pesos instead of the hundred he had asked for. He was certain that God could not have made a mistake or denied his request.
(অসমীয়া উত্তৰ): যেতিয়া লেঞ্চোৱে টকা গণি চালে আৰু তেওঁ বিচৰা এশ পেছোৰ সলনি কেৱল সত্তৰ পেছোহে পালে, তেতিয়া তেওঁৰ খং উঠিল। তেওঁ নিশ্চিত আছিল যে ঈশ্বৰে ভুল কৰিব নোৱাৰে বা তেওঁৰ অনুৰোধ অস্বীকাৰ কৰিব নোৱাৰে।
(Thinking about the Text – Page 7)
1. Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?
(কাৰ ওপৰত লেঞ্চোৰ সম্পূৰ্ণ বিশ্বাস আছিল? গল্পটোৰ কোনবোৰ বাক্যই তোমাক এই কথা কয়?)
Answer: Lencho has complete faith in God. The following sentences show this:
- “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.”
- “All through the night, Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God, whose eyes, as he had been instructed, see everything…”
- “Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money; such was his confidence…”
2. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?
(পোষ্টমাষ্টৰজনে লেঞ্চোক কিয় টকা পঠিয়াইছিল? তেওঁ চিঠিখনত ‘God’ বুলি কিয় চহী কৰিছিল?)
Answer: The postmaster sends money to Lencho because he is deeply impressed by the farmer’s profound faith in God and does not want to shake that faith. He signs the letter ‘God’ to make Lencho believe that the help has come directly from God, thereby keeping his faith intact.
3. Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?
(লেঞ্চোৱে টকা কোনে পঠিয়াইছিল সেয়া জানিবলৈ চেষ্টা কৰিছিল নেকি? কিয়/কিয় নহয়?)
Answer: No, Lencho did not try to find out who had sent the money. This is because his faith was so absolute that he had no doubt it was God who had sent him the money. The possibility of it being anyone else never entered his mind.
4. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation?
(লেঞ্চোৰ মতে বাকী টকাখিনি কোনে ল’লে? এই পৰিস্থিতিটোত থকা ব্যংগ কি?)
Answer: Lencho thinks that the post office employees have taken the rest of the money. The irony in the situation is that the very people who selflessly helped him by collecting and sending the money are the ones he accuses of being “a bunch of crooks.” It is a classic case of situational irony, where the outcome is the opposite of what is expected.
5. Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is?
(বাস্তৱ জগতত লেঞ্চোৰ দৰে মানুহ আছেনে? আপুনি তেওঁক কেনেধৰণৰ ব্যক্তি বুলি ক’ব?)
Answer: While people with such absolute, childlike faith as Lencho’s are rare in the real world, they do exist. Lencho can be described as naive and unquestioning. He is not stupid; he is a hardworking farmer who knows his fields well. However, his faith in a higher power is so simple and complete that he does not consider any other possibility for where the help could have come from.
6. There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?
(গল্পটোত দুবিধ সংঘাত আছে: মানুহ আৰু প্ৰকৃতিৰ মাজত, আৰু মানুহৰ মাজত। এই সংঘাতবোৰ কেনেকৈ দেখুওৱা হৈছে?)
Answer:
- Conflict between Human and Nature: This is illustrated by the hailstorm that destroys Lencho’s crops. Lencho, a hardworking farmer, is completely dependent on nature for his livelihood, but nature turns destructive and ruins his year’s work, leaving him helpless.
- Conflict between Humans: This conflict is illustrated ironically. The postmaster and his employees perform a kind, selfless act to help Lencho. However, Lencho, due to his misunderstanding, creates a conflict by suspecting these very people of stealing his money and calling them “a bunch of crooks.”
Previous Year SEBA Board Exam Questions (SEBA ব’ৰ্ড পৰীক্ষাৰ বিগত বৰ্ষৰ প্ৰশ্ন)
- Q. What did Lencho write in his second letter to God? (HSLC 2015)
(ঈশ্বৰলৈ লিখা দ্বিতীয়খন চিঠিত লেঞ্চোৱে কি লিখিছিল?)
Answer: In his second letter to God, Lencho complained that he had only received 70 pesos out of the 100 he had asked for. He asked God to send him the rest of the money but warned Him not to send it through the mail because he believed the post office employees were “a bunch of crooks.” - Q. What are the raindrops compared to and why? (HSLC 2016)
(বৰষুণৰ টোপালবোৰক কিহৰ লগত তুলনা কৰা হৈছে আৰু কিয়?)
Answer: The raindrops are compared to ‘new coins’. Lencho makes this comparison because the rain was essential for a good harvest, which in turn would bring his family money and prosperity. He saw the big drops as ten-cent pieces and the little ones as five-cent pieces. - Q. Why did Lencho call the post office employees a “bunch of crooks”? (HSLC 2017, 2020)
(লেঞ্চোৱে ডাকঘৰৰ কৰ্মচাৰীসকলক “এদল ঠগ” বুলি কিয় কৈছিল?)
Answer: Lencho called the post office employees a “bunch of crooks” because he had asked God for 100 pesos but received only 70. His faith in God was so absolute that he could not believe God would send him less. Therefore, he concluded that the post office employees must have stolen the missing 30 pesos. - Q. What did the postmaster do so as not to shake the writer’s faith in God? (HSLC 2018)
(ঈশ্বৰৰ প্ৰতি থকা লেখকৰ বিশ্বাস অটুট ৰাখিবলৈ পোষ্টমাষ্টৰজনে কি কৰিছিল?)
Answer: So as not to shake Lencho’s faith in God, the postmaster decided to answer the letter himself. He collected money from his employees, contributed a part of his own salary, and gathered donations from friends to send to Lencho on behalf of ‘God’. - Q. What did Lencho have faith in? (HSLC 2019)
(লেঞ্চোৰ কিহত বিশ্বাস আছিল?)
Answer: Lencho had a deep and unshakable faith in God. He believed that God could see everything and would always help those in need.
Important Questions for Upcoming Board Exam (আগন্তুক ব’ৰ্ড পৰীক্ষাৰ বাবে গুৰুত্বপূৰ্ণ প্ৰশ্ন)
Q1. Describe the postmaster’s character as portrayed in “A Letter to God.”
(“A Letter to God” গল্পটোত চিত্ৰিত পোষ্টমাষ্টৰজনৰ চৰিত্ৰ বৰ্ণনা কৰা।)
Answer: The postmaster is portrayed as a kind, generous, and empathetic man. Initially, he laughs at Lencho’s letter, but he quickly becomes serious and is deeply moved by the farmer’s profound faith. Instead of dismissing the letter, he decides to help Lencho to preserve his faith. He not only gives a part of his own salary but also motivates his colleagues and friends to contribute. His act of signing the letter as ‘God’ shows his wisdom and sensitivity. He represents the goodness and humanity that exists in the world.
Q2. What is the central irony in the story “A Letter to God”?
(“A Letter to God” গল্পটোৰ মূল ব্যংগ কি?)
Answer: The central irony in the story is that Lencho, in his blind faith, ends up distrusting the very people who helped him. The post office employees, moved by his faith, perform an act of selfless charity. However, when Lencho receives less money than he asked for, he doesn’t question God but immediately blames the employees for stealing it, calling them “a bunch of crooks.” The irony lies in the fact that the embodiment of human kindness is mistaken for dishonesty.
Q3. How did the hailstorm affect Lencho’s field and his family’s future?
(শিলাবৃষ্টিয়ে লেঞ্চোৰ খেতিপথাৰ আৰু তেওঁৰ পৰিয়ালৰ ভৱিষ্যতত কেনে প্ৰভাৱ পেলাইছিল?)
Answer: The hailstorm had a devastating effect on Lencho’s field and his family’s future. It completely destroyed his entire crop of corn, leaving the field white as if covered with salt. This meant that his family would have no corn for the entire year and would face hunger. The hailstorm shattered his only source of livelihood and left him and his family in a state of complete despair, with their survival for the year in jeopardy.
