1. What did Lencho hope for?
Answer: Lencho hoped for a good rain shower. He was a farmer, and his crops of corn were ready for harvest. He needed rain for his fields so that his crops would grow well and he would get a good yield. He had been looking at the sky all morning, hoping to see dark clouds that would bring rain. His only hope was that it would rain soon so that his family would have food and money for the coming year.
2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?
Answer: Lencho said the raindrops were like ‘new coins’ because he believed that the rain would bring him prosperity and wealth. As a farmer, he knew that good rain meant a good harvest. When his crops would be ready, he would be able to sell them and earn money. The big raindrops reminded him of ten-centavo coins, and the smaller ones reminded him of five-centavo coins. To Lencho, the rain was not just water falling from the sky; it was a promise of money, food, and a better life for his family.
3. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?
Answer: The rain started as a gentle, pleasant shower that filled Lencho with happiness and hope. However, it soon changed dramatically. Strong winds began to blow, and large hailstones started falling from the sky. The hailstones were as big as frozen pearls and fell continuously for about an hour. They destroyed Lencho’s fields. The entire crop of corn was ruined. The leaves and flowers were stripped off the plants, and there was nothing left standing. The fields looked as if they had been covered with salt.
4. What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?
Answer: When the hail stopped, Lencho was filled with deep sadness, grief, and despair. His heart was heavy with sorrow because he knew that his entire crop was destroyed. He realized that there would be no harvest that year, and his family would have nothing to eat. He said to his sons, “A plague of locusts would have left more than this. The hail has left nothing.” His soul was filled with sadness, and he felt hopeless about the future. He had no money and no way to feed his family.
5. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
Answer: No, Lencho was not at all surprised to find a letter for him containing money. He had complete faith in God, and he was certain that God would answer his prayer. When he had written the letter to God asking for one hundred pesos, he believed with all his heart that God would send him the money. He did not find it surprising or miraculous; to him, it was exactly what he had expected. His faith was so strong that he considered it natural for God to respond to his request.
6. What made him angry?
Answer: Lencho became angry when he counted the money and found only 70 pesos instead of the 100 pesos he had asked for. He was not angry because he received money from a stranger; he still believed that the money came directly from God. He thought that God could not make a mistake, so he concluded that the post office employees must have stolen the remaining thirty pesos. His anger was directed at the post office employees, whom he accused of being dishonest and stealing from God’s letter.
7. Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
Answer: Lencho had complete and unwavering faith in God. He believed that God was all-seeing and that He would help him in his time of need. When his crops were destroyed by the hailstorm, Lencho did not lose hope. He wrote a letter to God, addressing it simply to “God,” and in the letter, he explained his situation and asked God to send him one hundred pesos so that he could sow his fields again and support his family until the next harvest. He went to the post office and mailed the letter with full confidence that God would receive it and answer his prayer.
8. Who read the letter?
Answer: The letter was read by the postmaster at the post office. When he saw that the letter was addressed to God, he was amazed and curious. He opened the letter and read its contents. He was deeply moved by Lencho’s innocent faith and genuine belief that God would help him. The postmaster was so touched that he decided to help Lencho by collecting money from his employees and contributing a part of his own salary to send to Lencho as if it were from God.
9. What did the postmaster do then?
Answer: After reading Lencho’s letter, the postmaster was filled with admiration for Lencho’s simple and pure faith. He did not want to break that faith. He decided to help Lencho by collecting money from his employees and also contributing from his own salary. He managed to collect only seventy pesos because he could not gather the full one hundred pesos. He put the money in an envelope, addressed it to Lencho, and wrote “God” as the sender. Then he placed the letter in the mail so that Lencho would receive it.