1. What was the 'only thing' the earth needed according to Lencho?                                    

     (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ: ଲେଞ୍ଚୋଙ୍କ ଅନୁଯାୟୀ ପୃଥିବୀକୁ 'ଏକମାତ୍ର ଜିନିଷ' କ'ଣ ଦରକାର ଥିଲା?)

Ans: The only thing the earth needed was a downpour or at least a shower.

2. What did Lencho predict when he saw the clouds in the north-east?                                  

   (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ: ଉତ୍ତର-ପୂର୍ବରେ ମେଘ ଦେଖି ଲେଞ୍ଚୋ କ'ଣ ଭବିଷ୍ୟବାଣୀ କରିଥିଲେ?)

Ans: He predicted that they were "really going to get some water".

3. How did Lencho’s wife reply to his prediction of rain?

(ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ: ଲେଞ୍ଚୋଙ୍କ ବର୍ଷା ଭବିଷ୍ୟବାଣୀର ଉତ୍ତର ତାଙ୍କ ପତ୍ନୀ କିପରି ଦେଲେ?)

Ans: The woman, who was preparing supper, replied, "Yes, God willing".

4. What did the boys do when the hailstones began to fall?

 (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ: ଯେତେବେଳେ କୁଆପଥର ପଡ଼ିବା ଆରମ୍ଭ ହେଲା, ପିଲାମାନେ କ'ଣ କଲେ?)

Ans: The boys, exposing themselves to the rain, ran out to collect the frozen pearls.

5. How long did the hail rain on the valley?

(ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ:ଉପତ୍ୟକାରେ କେତେ ସମୟ ଧରି କୁଆପଥର ବର୍ଷା ହୋଇଥିଲା?)

Ans: The hail rained on the house, the garden, the hillside, and the cornfield for an hour.

6. What was Lencho's 'single hope' after the total loss?

(ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ: ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ କ୍ଷତି ପରେ ଲେଞ୍ଚୋର 'ଏକମାତ୍ର ଆଶା' କ'ଣ ଥିଲା?)

Ans: His single hope was help from God.

7. Why did the postman laugh heartily?

 (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ: ଡାକ କର୍ମଚାରୀ ଜଣକ କାହିଁକି ଜୋରରେ ହସିଲେ?)

Ans: He laughed heartily because he saw a letter addressed "To God," an address he had never known in his career.

8. What quality of Lencho impressed the postmaster?

(ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ: ଲେଞ୍ଚୋର କେଉଁ ଗୁଣ ପୋଷ୍ଟମାଷ୍ଟରଙ୍କୁ ପ୍ରଭାବିତ କରିଥିଲା?)

Ans: The postmaster was impressed by Lencho's unshakable faith, commenting, "What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter".

9. How much money did Lencho ask for, and how much did he receive?

 (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ: ଲେଞ୍ଚୋ କେତେ ଟଙ୍କା ମାଗିଥିଲେ, ଏବଂ ସେ କେତେ ପାଇଲେ?)

Ans: Lencho asked for one hundred pesos, but he received "only seventy pesos".

10. What did the postmaster do to collect the money?

(ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ: ପୋଷ୍ଟମାଷ୍ଟର ଟଙ୍କା ସଂଗ୍ରହ ପାଇଁ କ'ଣ କଲେ?)

Ans: He asked for money from his employees, gave part of his own salary, and asked several friends to give something "for an act of charity".

11. Why did Lencho become angry when he counted the money?

 (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ: ଟଙ୍କା ଗଣିବା ବେଳେ ଲେଞ୍ଚୋ କାହିଁକି ରାଗିଗଲେ?)

Ans: He became angry because there were only 70 pesos, and he was confident that God could not have made a mistake or sent him less than the 100 pesos he asked for.

12. Where did Lencho write his second letter?

 (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ: ଲେଞ୍ଚୋ ତାଙ୍କର ଦ୍ୱିତୀୟ ଚିଠି କେଉଁଠାରେ ଲେଖିଥିଲେ?)

Ans: He went up to the window to ask for paper and ink, and started to write on the public writing-table.

13. What was the 'contentment' the postmaster experienced?

 (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ: ପୋଷ୍ଟମାଷ୍ଟର ଅନୁଭବ କରିଥିବା 'ସନ୍ତୋଷ' କ'ଣ ଥିଲା?)

Ans: It was the contentment of a man who has performed a good deed, watching Lencho receive the letter with the money he had collected.

14. Who did Lencho blame for the missing money?

 (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ: ହଜିଯାଇଥିବା ଟଙ୍କା ପାଇଁ ଲେଞ୍ଚୋ କାହାକୁ ଦାୟୀ କଲେ?)

Ans: He blamed the post office employees, calling them "a bunch of crooks".

15. Why did Lencho ask God not to send the rest of the money through the mail?

(ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ: ଲେଞ୍ଚୋ କାହିଁକି ଭଗବାନଙ୍କୁ ବାକି ଟଙ୍କା ଡାକ ମାଧ୍ୟମରେ ନ ପଠାଇବାକୁ କହିଥିଲେ?)

Ans: He asked God not to send it through the mail because he believed the post office employees were "a bunch of crooks" who had stolen some of it.

1. Describe the destruction caused by the hailstorm in "A Letter to God".

(ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ: "ଭଗବାନଙ୍କୁ ପତ୍ର" ଗଳ୍ପରେ କୁଆପଥର ମାଡ଼ ଦ୍ୱାରା ହୋଇଥିବା କ୍ଷୟକ୍ଷତି ବର୍ଣ୍ଣନା କରନ୍ତୁ।)

 Ans: The hailstorm was devastating. The rain, which Lencho had joyfully welcomed as "new coins", suddenly changed when a strong wind began to blow, and "very large hailstones" started to fall. The storm lasted for an hour, covering the house, garden, hillside, and cornfield. The field became completely white, "as if covered with salt". The destruction was total: "Not a leaf remained on the trees. The corn was totally destroyed. The flowers were gone from the plants". Lencho's soul was filled with sadness, as the hail had "left nothing," destroying his family's livelihood for the year.

2. What was the postmaster's reaction to Lencho's letter? What did he do and why?         

    (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ: ଲେଞ୍ଚୋଙ୍କ ପତ୍ର ପ୍ରତି ପୋଷ୍ଟମାଷ୍ଟରଙ୍କ ପ୍ରତିକ୍ରିୟା କ'ଣ ଥିଲା? ସେ କ'ଣ କଲେ ଏବଂ କାହିଁକି?)

Ans: The postmaster, a fat and amiable fellow, first "broke out laughing" when he saw the letter addressed "To God". However, he "almost immediately he turned serious", deeply impressed by the writer's faith. He wished he had such faith himself, "starting up a correspondence with God!". Driven by a desire "not to shake the writer's faith in God", he decided to answer the letter. He raised money by asking his employees, giving part of his own salary, and obliging friends to contribute "for an act of charity". He managed to gather "only a little more than half" (70 pesos) and sent it to Lencho, signing the letter with a single word: "God".

3. Describe Lencho's character, highlighting his faith and his simplicity.                                                    

            (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ: ଲେଞ୍ଚୋଙ୍କ ଚରିତ୍ର ବର୍ଣ୍ଣନା କରନ୍ତୁ, ତାଙ୍କର ବିଶ୍ୱାସ ଏବଂ ସରଳତା ଉପରେ ଆଲୋକପାତ କରନ୍ତୁ।)

Ans: Lencho was a simple and hardworking farmer, "an ox of a man, working like an animal in the fields". His primary characteristic was his absolute and unquestioning faith in God. After the hailstorm destroyed his crops, his "single hope" was help from God. He believed so strongly that God sees everything, "even what is deep in one's conscience", that he wrote a letter directly to Him asking for 100 pesos. His simplicity is shown when he received the money; he "showed not the slightest surprise," as he was fully expecting it. However, this simplicity also made him naive. He could not imagine God making a mistake, so when he found only 70 pesos, he immediately concluded that the post office employees were "crooks", unable to see the human kindness behind the act.

4. Why did Lencho write his second letter to God? What does it reveal about his character?

(ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ: ଲେଞ୍ଚୋ କାହିଁକି ଭଗବାନଙ୍କୁ ତାଙ୍କର ଦ୍ୱିତୀୟ ଚିଠି ଲେଖିଲେ? ଏହା ତାଙ୍କ ଚରିତ୍ର ବିଷୟରେ କ'ଣ ପ୍ରକାଶ କରେ?)

Ans: Lencho wrote his second letter immediately after he became angry upon counting the money. He had asked for 100 pesos but received only 70. Since his faith in God was absolute, he believed "God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested". Therefore, he wrote the second letter to ask God to send "the rest" (the missing 30 pesos), which he needed very much. This act reveals two key aspects of his character:

His unshakable faith: He was not thanking God, but rather filing a complaint, treating his correspondence as a normal transaction.

His complete naivety: He failed to see the kindness of the post office workers and instead, in his simple, black-and-white view of the world, blamed them for the "theft," calling them "a bunch of crooks".

5. How did the postmaster and post office employees help Lencho? How was their act of kindness misunderstood?                                                                                                                    

 (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ: ପୋଷ୍ଟମାଷ୍ଟର ଏବଂ ଡାକଘର କର୍ମଚାରୀମାନେ ଲେଞ୍ଚୋଙ୍କୁ କିପରି ସାହାଯ୍ୟ କଲେ? ସେମାନଙ୍କର ଦୟା କାର୍ଯ୍ୟକୁ କିପରି ଭୁଲ ବୁଝାଗଲା?)

 Ans: The postmaster and employees helped Lencho out of genuine kindness. Moved by his faith, the postmaster resolved to answer the letter. He "stuck to his resolution" and initiated a collection. He gave part of his own salary, and the employees and his friends all contributed money "for an act of charity". Although they couldn't collect the full 100 pesos, they gathered 70 pesos and sent it to Lencho, signing as "God" to preserve his faith. Their kindness was completely misunderstood. Lencho, upon counting the money, was not grateful but angry. His faith in God was so strong that he believed God had sent the full 100 pesos, and the post office employees must have stolen the missing 30. He ended up calling his helpers "a bunch of crooks".

6. Compare and contrast Lencho's feelings about the rain at the beginning of the storm and after the storm.

(ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ: ଝଡ଼ର ଆରମ୍ଭରେ ଏବଂ ଝଡ଼ ପରେ ବର୍ଷା ବିଷୟରେ ଲେଞ୍ଚୋର ଭାବନାକୁ ତୁଳନା କରନ୍ତୁ।)

Ans: At the beginning, Lencho was filled with joy and satisfaction. He had been waiting for the rain all morning. When it finally began, he went out "to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body". He "exclaimed" that the raindrops were not rain, but "new coins"—the big drops were "ten cent pieces and the little ones are fives". He regarded his field "with a satisfied expression," seeing the rain as a promise of prosperity. After the storm, his joy turned to complete despair. The rain had turned to hail and "totally destroyed" his corn. "Lencho's soul was filled with sadness". He told his sons, "The hail has left nothing. This year we will have no corn". The very force that he believed would bring him wealth had instead brought him ruin.

7. Explain the irony in the story "A Letter to God".

(ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅର୍ଥ: "ଭଗବାନଙ୍କୁ ପତ୍ର" ଗଳ୍ପରେ ଥିବା ବିଡମ୍ବନାକୁ ବ୍ୟାଖ୍ୟା କରନ୍ତୁ।)

 Ans: The central irony of the story, known as situational irony, is that the very people who helped Lencho were accused by him of being thieves. The postmaster and his employees, moved by Lencho's faith, performed an "act of charity" by collecting and sending him 70 pesos. They did this to protect his faith in God. However, Lencho's faith in God was so absolute that he could not believe God would send him less than 100 pesos. He therefore concluded that the post office employees must have stolen the missing 30 pesos, calling them "a bunch of crooks" in his second letter to God. The helpers were wrongfully blamed by the person they had tried to help