Summary
In a remote valley, a poor farmer named Lencho eagerly awaits rain to nourish his crops. When it finally rains, his joy turns to despair as a severe hailstorm destroys everything, leaving his family facing hunger. Deeply faithful, Lencho writes a letter to God, asking for 100 pesos to replant his fields and survive until the next harvest.
A postmaster, moved by Lencho’s unwavering faith, decides to help. He collects money from colleagues and friends, managing to gather 70 pesos. He sends it anonymously to Lencho, signing the letter as "God."
Lencho receives the letter and the money without surprise, but becomes angry at the missing amount. Certain that God would not shortchange him, he writes another letter—this time asking God not to send the money through the post office, accusing the employees of being thieves.
Questions and Answers
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What did Lencho hope for?
Lencho hoped for rain so that his crops would grow and yield a good harvest.
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Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?
Lencho compared the raindrops to coins because he believed the rain would bring prosperity by ensuring a good crop, which would mean money for his family.
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How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?
The rain turned into a hailstorm with large hailstones. It destroyed Lencho’s crops completely, leaving his fields barren and covered in ice like salt.
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What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?
Lencho was filled with sadness and despair. He realized that his entire harvest was lost and his family would go hungry.
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Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
Lencho had complete faith in God. He wrote a letter to God asking for 100 pesos to replant his crops and survive the year.
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Who read the letter?
A postman read the letter first, then showed it to the postmaster.
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What did the postmaster do then?
The postmaster, touched by Lencho’s faith, collected money from his employees, friends, and gave from his own salary to send Lencho as much as he could—70 pesos—along with a letter signed “God.”
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Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
No, Lencho was not surprised. He had absolute confidence that God would respond to his request.
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What made him angry?
Lencho was angry because he received only 70 pesos instead of the 100 he had asked for. He believed someone had stolen the rest.
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Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?
Lencho has complete faith in God. Sentences like “It was during the meal that, just as Lencho had predicted, big drops of rain began to fall” and “God: Of the money that I asked for, only seventy pesos reached me…” show his deep trust. Also, “It made him angry... God: send me the rest... don’t send it through the mail... the post office employees are a bunch of crooks.”
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Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?
The postmaster is moved by Lencho’s faith and doesn’t want to disappoint him. He signs the letter ‘God’ to preserve Lencho’s belief that God had helped him directly.
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Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?
No, he did not. He fully believed it came from God and didn’t question it because of his deep faith.
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Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation?
Lencho believes the post office employees stole the missing 30 pesos.
Irony: The same people he accuses of theft are the ones who generously helped him. It's ironic because he mistrusts those who actually cared enough to help. -
Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is?
Yes, there are people like Lencho—unquestioning, naive, and faithful. He isn’t greedy or selfish, but his blind faith makes him misinterpret kindness.
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There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?
- Human vs. Nature: Lencho’s crops are destroyed by a natural disaster (hailstorm), which threatens his family's survival.
- Human vs. Human: Lencho wrongly accuses the post office workers—the very people who helped him—of theft, creating a conflict based on misunderstanding and misplaced mistrust.
