A Letter To God

Hello students, welcome to today's English lesson. I'm so happy to see all of you here. Today we are going to study a very beautiful and touching story from your NCERT textbook First Flight. The chapter is titled "A Letter to God" and it is written by a writer named G.L. Fuentes. Before we begin reading the story, let me tell you a little bit about what we will be doing in today's class.

We will first understand what the story is about, then we will read it together, and after that we will work on all the exercises, the comprehension questions, the grammar exercises, and even the poetry that comes after the story. So make sure you pay attention throughout, because by the end of today's lesson, you should be able to answer any question from this chapter. Are you ready? Let us begin.

Now students, look at the section called "BEFORE YOU READ". The chapter begins with a thought-provoking question. They say faith can move mountains. But what should we put our faith in? This is the question this story delicately poses. Think about this for a moment. When we face difficulties in life, what do we have faith in? Some people have faith in God, some have faith in their family, some have faith in themselves. The story we are going to read today is about a farmer named Lencho who puts his complete faith in God.

The story tells us about Lencho, a farmer whose crops are ruined, and he writes a letter to God asking for a hundred pesos. Now students, you must be wondering, does Lencho's letter actually reach God? Does God send him the money? These are the questions we need to think about before we start reading. The chapter asks us to guess how the story continues. But don't worry, we will read the entire story and find out what happens.

Now students, before we read the main story, there is an Activity that we need to do. This activity is about sending money through the post office, which is called a Money Order. This is very relevant to our story because Lencho writes a letter to God and the post office plays a very important role in what happens next.

The activity tells us that one of the cheapest ways to send money to someone is through the post office. Have you ever sent or received money in this way? In India, we also have similar systems like money orders and demand drafts. Now let me explain the process of sending a Money Order.

Inside the post office, you need to go to the counter marked "Money Order". You buy a Money Order form by paying fifty paise to the person behind the counter. Then you fill in the appropriate boxes in the form, preferably in block letters. After that, you pay the counter clerk the amount of money to be sent along with the charges. Finally, you take back the Money Order acknowledgement counterfoil for your record. This is exactly what happens in a post office in India as well.

The activity also asks us to discuss the meanings of some words: counter, counter clerk, appropriate, acknowledgement, counterfoil, and record. Let me explain these to you. A counter is the table or desk in a post office or bank where you interact with the staff. A counter clerk is the person who works at that counter. Appropriate means suitable or fitting. An acknowledgement is a receipt or confirmation that something has been received. A counterfoil is the part of a document that you keep as a record after giving the other part to someone. And record means to keep something for future reference.

Now students, there is a second part of this activity where you need to fill out a Money Order form. But since we are doing this as a spoken lesson, I will not ask you to actually fill out a form. Instead, let me explain what the form contains and answer the questions that follow.

The Money Order form has three parts: the Money Order form itself, the part for official use, and the Acknowledgement. The "Space for Communication" is used for writing a message to the person you are sending money to, like "This is for your birthday" or "Please use this for your studies".

Now let me guide you through these fill-in-the-blank questions from the activity. These are questions for you to think about and discuss with your teacher. I will help you understand what each question is asking, but you should try to answer them yourself based on what we learned about Money Orders.

For statement (i), think about who else needs to sign the form besides the sender. Remember we learned about the counter clerk and post office officials.

For statement (ii), consider who receives the acknowledgement back, and who needs to sign it first. Think about the process of delivery.

For statement (iii), we already discussed this - the Space for Communication is for writing a message to the receiver.

For statement (iv), look at the form carefully. It has six sections total. Think about which sections the sender fills, which the post office fills, and what the receiver needs to do.

Discuss these questions with your teacher and classmates, and try to fill in the blanks correctly.

Now students, we have done the pre-reading activity. Let us now read the story itself. I want you to imagine the scene as I read. Try to visualize the house, the fields, the rain, and the farmer. This will help you understand the story better.

The story begins by describing a house. The house was the only one in the entire valley, and it sat on the crest of a low hill. From this height one could see the river and the field of ripe corn dotted with the flowers that always promised a good harvest. Students, can you picture this? A solitary house on a hill, with a beautiful view of the river and cornfields full of flowers. This is a very peaceful and scenic location.

Now the story tells us that the only thing the earth needed was a downpour or at least a shower. The farmers were waiting for rain. Throughout the morning, Lencho, who knew his fields intimately, had done nothing else but see the sky towards the north-east. Students, notice how the writer tells us that Lencho knew his fields intimately. This tells us that Lencho was an experienced farmer who understood his land very well. He was watching the sky, hoping for rain to come.

Now Lencho said to his wife, "Now we're really going to get some water, woman." And the woman who was preparing supper replied, "Yes, God willing." Students, this is a very common expression in India as well, isn't it? "God willing" or "InshaAllah" means that we hope and pray that something will happen, but we also accept that it is in God's hands. This shows the faith of the people in the story.

The older boys were working in the field, while the smaller ones were playing near the house until the woman called to them all, "Come for dinner." 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 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."

Students, here we see a beautiful metaphor. Lencho is comparing the raindrops to coins because he knows that the rain will bring a good harvest, and a good harvest means money for his family. This shows how important rain is for farmers. Can you think of other examples where farmers in India wait for the monsoons? The monsoons are like lifelines for Indian farmers, just like the rain was for Lencho.

Now with a satisfied expression, Lencho regarded the field of ripe corn with its flowers, draped in a curtain of rain. But suddenly a strong wind began to blow and along with the rain, very large hailstones began to fall. Students, hailstones are small balls of ice that fall from the sky during a storm. They can cause a lot of damage to crops. The hailstones truly did resemble new silver coins. The boys, exposing themselves to the rain, ran out to collect the frozen pearls. They thought this was fun, not knowing the damage that was coming.

Then Lencho exclaimed, "It's really getting bad now. I hope it passes quickly." But it did not pass quickly. For an hour, the hail rained on the house, the garden, the hillside, the cornfield, on the whole valley. The field was white, as if covered with salt. Students, imagine this. The hail was so heavy that it looked like the field was covered with white salt. This shows the severity of the hailstorm.

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. When the storm had passed, he stood in the middle of the field and said to his sons, "A plague of locusts would have left more than this. The hail has left nothing. This year we will have no corn."

Students, a plague of locusts is when a large group of locusts, which are insects that destroy crops, attack the fields. Lencho is saying that even a locust attack would have left some crops behind, but the hail has destroyed everything. This year there will be no corn, which means no food and no money for his family.

That night was a sorrowful one. The family was worried about their future. They said, "All our work, for nothing." "There's no one who can help us." "We'll all go hungry this year." This shows how desperate the situation was. All their hard work throughout the year had been destroyed in just one hour.

Now students, let me pause here and ask you the first Oral Comprehension Check question. What did Lencho hope for? Lencho hoped for rain. He had been watching the sky all morning, hoping that the clouds would bring rain to his fields. He wanted the rain to help his crops grow so that he could have a good harvest and support his family.

Now let me ask the second question. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like 'new coins'? Lencho said the raindrops were like new coins because he knew that the rain would bring a good harvest. A good harvest would mean he could sell the corn and earn money. So for him, each raindrop was like a coin that would bring prosperity to his family.

Now the third question. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho's fields? The rain changed into a hailstorm. Instead of gentle raindrops, very large hailstones began to fall. The hailstorm lasted for an hour, and it destroyed everything. Not a leaf remained on the trees, the corn was totally destroyed, and the flowers were gone. The entire harvest was lost.

Now the fourth question. What were Lencho's feelings when the hail stopped? When the hail stopped, Lencho was filled with sadness. He stood in the middle of his destroyed field and realized that all his work had been in vain. He knew that they would have no corn that year, and his family would go hungry. He was very sad and worried about the future.

Now students, let us continue reading the story. After the hailstorm, the family was very sad, but they had one hope: help from God. The story says, "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."

The wife tried to comfort Lencho, saying, "Don't be upset, even though this seems like a total loss. Remember, no one dies of hunger." And Lencho replied, "That's what they say: no one dies of hunger." This shows that although they were worried, they still had faith that somehow they would be okay.

All through the night, Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God, whose eyes, as he had been instructed, see everything, even what is deep in one's conscience. Students, this line is very important. It tells us that Lencho believes God can see everything, even what is in our hearts and minds. He believes that God knows about his suffering and will help him.

Lencho was an ox of a man, working like an animal in the fields, but still he knew how to write. The following Sunday, at daybreak, he began to write a letter which he himself would carry to town and place in the mail. It was nothing less than a letter to God.

Now students, can you imagine writing a letter to God? This shows how much faith Lencho had. He truly believed that God would read his letter and help him. Let me read the letter to you.

"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..."

So students, in this letter, Lencho is asking God for a hundred pesos. He needs this money to buy seeds for planting again and to feed his family until the new crop comes. This shows how desperate his situation was.

He wrote "To God" on the envelope, put the letter inside and, still troubled, went to town. At the post office, he placed a stamp on the letter and dropped it into the mailbox.

Now students, this is where the story gets interesting. What happens when a letter addressed to God arrives at the post office? Let us see.

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!"

Students, notice how the postmaster's reaction changes. First he laughs at the absurdity of the address, but then he becomes serious when he thinks about the faith that Lencho has. The postmaster says he wishes he had the same faith as Lencho. This shows that the postmaster is moved by Lencho's belief in God.

So, in order not to shake the writer's faith in God, the postmaster came up with an idea: answer the letter. But when he opened it, it was evident that to answer it he needed something more than goodwill, ink and paper. He needed money. 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 an act of charity".

It was impossible for him to gather together the hundred pesos, so he was able to send the farmer only a little more than half. He put the money in an envelope addressed to Lencho and with it a letter containing only a single word as a signature: God.

Students, this is such a beautiful act of kindness. The postmaster could have just laughed at the letter and thrown it away. But instead, he decided to help Lencho. He collected money from his employees and his friends, and even contributed from his own salary. He signed the letter "God" to keep up the faith that Lencho had. This shows that sometimes humans can also act like God by helping others in need.

Now let me ask you the Oral Comprehension Check questions for this section.

First question: Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do? Lencho had faith in God. He wrote a letter to God asking for a hundred pesos to help his family and to sow his field again.

Second question: Who read the letter? The postman read the letter first, and then he showed it to the postmaster. Both of them read the letter addressed to God.

Third question: What did the postmaster do then? The postmaster decided to answer the letter. He collected money from his employees and friends, and even gave some of his own salary. He sent Lencho a little more than fifty pesos and signed the letter "God".

Now students, let us continue reading the story to see what happens when Lencho receives the letter.

The following Sunday, Lencho came a bit earlier than usual to ask if there was a letter for him. It was the postman himself who handed the letter to him while the postmaster, experiencing the contentment of a man who has performed a good deed, looked on from his office.

Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money; such was his confidence. But he became angry when he counted the money. God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested.

Students, can you believe this? Lencho was not surprised at all to receive money from God. He had complete faith that God would help him. But when he counted the money, he became angry because he had asked for a hundred pesos, but he received less than that. He thought that God had made a mistake or denied him what he asked for.

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.

The letter said: "God: Of the money that I asked for, only seventy pesos reached me. Send me the rest, since I need it very much. But don't send it to me through the mail because the post office employees are a bunch of crooks. Lencho."

Students, this is the most ironic part of the story. Lencho wrote a letter to God asking for the rest of the money, and he accused the post office employees of being crooks. But the truth is that the post office employees were the ones who had actually sent him the money! They had given him money from their own pockets, and Lencho thinks they stole it. This is the irony of the situation. The people who helped him are being accused of stealing, while Lencho remains unaware of the truth.

Now let me ask the Oral Comprehension Check questions for this section.

First question: Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it? No, Lencho was not surprised at all. He had complete faith that God would send him the money. He expected it.

Second question: What made him angry? He became angry because he had asked for a hundred pesos, but he received only seventy pesos. He thought that God had made a mistake or denied him the full amount he requested.

Now students, we have finished reading the story. Let us now work on the "Thinking about the Text" questions. These questions will help us understand the story better and think about its deeper meanings.

First question: Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?

Lencho has complete faith in God. Several sentences in the story tell us this. First, when Lencho writes the letter, he addresses it to God. Second, the story says that Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God. Third, when Lencho receives the money, he shows not the slightest surprise because he expected God to send it. Fourth, he writes another letter to God asking for the rest of the money. All of these show that Lencho has complete faith in God.

Second question: Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter 'God'?

The postmaster sends money to Lencho because he is moved by Lencho's faith. When he sees the letter addressed to God, he thinks to himself, "What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter." He does not want to shake Lencho's faith in God, so he decides to answer the letter himself. He collects money from his employees and friends, and also contributes from his own salary. He signs the letter "God" so that Lencho believes the money has come from God. This way, Lencho's faith remains intact.

Third question: Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?

No, Lencho did not try to find out who had sent the money. He believed completely that the money had come from God. He was not surprised at all to receive the money. He just counted it and got angry when he found that it was less than what he had asked for. He never thought to question whether God had actually sent the money or not. His faith was so strong that he never doubted the source of the money.

Fourth question: Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation?

Lencho thinks that the post office employees have taken the rest of the money. In his second letter, he writes, "But don't send it to me through the mail because the post office employees are a bunch of crooks." He believes that the post office employees stole his money.

The irony in the situation is that the post office employees are actually the ones who sent him the money in the first place. They gave him money from their own pockets and from their friends. They were helping him out of kindness. But Lencho thinks they are thieves. This is the opposite of what is expected. The people who helped him are being accused of stealing from him. This is what we call irony, students. Irony is when something happens that is the opposite of what we expect, and it is often strange or amusing because of that contradiction.

Fifth question: 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 in the real world. There are many people who have deep faith in God and believe that God will help them in times of trouble. In India, we often see people praying to God for help during difficult times.

Now, what kind of a person would you say Lencho is? Let us look at the words given in the box: greedy, naive, stupid, ungrateful, selfish, comical, unquestioning.

Students, I want you to think about this carefully. Is Lencho greedy? No, he is not greedy. He only asked for what he needed to survive and to plant his crops again. He is not asking for luxury, just for enough to live.

Is he naive? Yes, he is somewhat naive. He believes so completely in God that he does not question how the money arrived or who sent it. He is very simple and innocent in his thinking.

Is he stupid? That would be too harsh a word. He is not stupid; he just has a very simple and direct way of thinking. He knows how to write and he works hard in his fields.

Is he ungrateful? This is tricky. He does not say thank you for the money he received. He only complains about not receiving enough. But in his mind, he believes God sent it, so he might think he does not need to thank anyone specifically. However, from our perspective, he does seem ungrateful because he does not appreciate what he received.

Is he selfish? Not really. He asked for money to feed his family and to plant his crops again. He was not asking for wealth for himself alone.

Is he comical? Yes, there is something comical about the whole situation. The idea of writing a letter to God and expecting an answer is both amusing and touching.

Is he unquestioning? Yes, he is unquestioning. He never questions whether God actually sent the money or how it could have arrived through the post office. He accepts everything at face value.

So students, I would say Lencho is naive and has unquestioning faith. He is also somewhat comical in his simple approach to solving his problems. But above all, he is a man of great faith, perhaps too great to see the truth around him.

Sixth question: There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?

The first conflict is between humans and nature. This is shown when the hailstorm destroys Lencho's crops. The farmers are dependent on nature for their livelihood, but nature can be cruel and destroy everything in an instant. The hailstorm is a force of nature that the humans cannot control. This conflict shows the struggle that farmers face against natural disasters.

The second conflict is between humans themselves. This is shown in the irony at the end of the story. The post office employees help Lencho by sending him money, but Lencho thinks they are thieves. There is a misunderstanding between Lencho and the post office employees. Also, the postmaster and his employees are helping someone they do not even know, which shows that there is kindness among humans, but Lencho is unaware of this.

Now students, let us move on to the "Thinking about Language" section. This will help us understand some important language concepts from the story.

First, let us look at the section about different names for storms. The story mentions a hailstorm, and we know that there are different names for storms in different parts of the world. Let me give you the matching answers.

The first one is: A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle. The answer is "cyclone". This fits the pattern: c y c l o n e.

The second one is: An extremely strong wind. The answer is "gale". This fits: g a l e.

The third one is: A violent tropical storm with very strong winds. This is "typhoon". This fits: t y p h o o n. Typhoons are common in Asia, especially in countries like Japan, China, and the Philippines.

The fourth one is: A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel. This is "tornado". This fits: t o r n a d o. Tornadoes are common in the United States.

The fifth one is: A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic Ocean. This is "hurricane". This fits: h u r r i c a n e. Hurricanes are common in the Caribbean and the southeastern United States.

The sixth one is: A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot of damage. This is "whirlwind". This fits: w h i r l w i n d.

Now students, let us look at the section about the word "hope". The story uses the word "hope" in different ways. Let me explain.

In the first example, "I hope it passes quickly," the word "hope" is used as a verb. It means you wish for something to happen.

In the second example, "There was a single hope: help from God," the word "hope" is used as a noun. It means a chance for something to happen.

Now let us do the matching exercise. We need to match the sentences in Column A with the meanings of "hope" in Column B.

Sentence 1: "Will you get the subjects you want to study in college? I hope so." This means the person is thinking that this would happen. It may or may not have happened. So the answer is "thinking that this would happen".

Sentence 2: "I hope you don't mind my saying this, but I don't like the way you are arguing." This is showing concern that what you say should not offend or disturb the other person. It is a way of being polite. So the answer is "showing concern that what you say should not offend or disturb the other person".

Sentence 3: "This discovery will give new hope to HIV/AIDS sufferers." This gives a feeling that something good will probably happen. So the answer is "a feeling that something good will probably happen".

Sentence 4: "We were hoping against hope that the judges would not notice our mistakes." This is wishing for something to happen, although this is very unlikely. So the answer is "wishing for something to happen, although this is very unlikely".

Sentence 5: "I called early in the hope of speaking to her before she went to school." This is wanting something to happen and thinking it quite possible. So the answer is "wanting something to happen".

Sentence 6: "Just when everybody had given up hope, the fishermen came back, seven days after the cyclone." This means they stopped believing that this good thing would happen. So the answer is "stopped believing that this good thing would happen".

Now students, let us look at the section about Relative Clauses. This is an important grammar topic.

Look at these sentences from the story:

(a) All morning Lencho, who knew his fields intimately, looked at the sky.

(b) The woman, who was preparing supper, replied, "Yes, God willing."

The italicized parts of the sentences give us more information about Lencho and the woman. We call them relative clauses. Notice that they begin with a relative pronoun "who". Other common relative pronouns are "whom", "whose", and "which".

The relative clauses in (a) and (b) above are called non-defining, because we already know the identity of the person they describe. Lencho is a particular person, and there is a particular woman he speaks to. We don't need the information in the relative clause to pick these people out from a larger set.

A non-defining relative clause usually has a comma in front of it and a comma after it. Some writers use a dash instead, as in the story. If the relative clause comes at the end, we just put a full stop.

Now let us practice joining sentences using relative pronouns.

First sentence: "I often go to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India." We need to join these using "which". The answer is: "I often go to Mumbai, which is the commercial capital of India."

Second sentence: "My mother is going to host a TV show on cooking. She cooks very well." We need to join these using "who". The answer is: "My mother, who cooks very well, is going to host a TV show on cooking."

Third sentence: "These sportspersons are going to meet the President. Their performance has been excellent." We need to join these using "whose". The answer is: "These sportspersons, whose performance has been excellent, are going to meet the President."

Fourth sentence: "Lencho prayed to God. His eyes see into our minds." We need to join these using "whose". The answer is: "Lencho prayed to God, whose eyes see into our minds."

Fifth sentence: "This man cheated me. I trusted him." We need to join these using "whom". The answer is: "This man, whom I trusted, cheated me."

Now students, sometimes the relative pronoun in a relative clause remains hidden. For example, look at the first sentence of the story: "The house, the only one in the entire valley, sat on the crest of a low hill." We can rewrite this sentence as: "The house, which was the only one in the entire valley, sat on the crest of a low hill." In the first version, the relative pronoun "which" and the verb "was" are not present. This is called a reduced relative clause or a clause with a hidden relative pronoun.

Now let us look at the section about Using Negatives for Emphasis. We know that sentences with words such as "no", "not", or "nothing" show the absence of something or contradict something. But sometimes negative words are used just to emphasize an idea.

Let me give you examples from the story:

(a) "This year we will have no corn." This means corn will be absent.

(b) "The hail has left nothing." This means absence of a crop.

(c) "These aren't raindrops falling from the sky, they are new coins." This contradicts the common idea of what the drops of water falling from the sky are.

(d) "Lencho had done nothing else but see the sky towards the north-east." This means he had done only this.

(e) "The man went out for no other reason than to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body." This means he had only this reason.

(f) "Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money." This means he showed no surprise at all.

Now we need to find sentences in the story with negative words that express the given ideas emphatically.

First idea: The trees lost all their leaves. The sentence in the story is: "Not a leaf remained on the trees." This uses "not" to emphasize that every single leaf was lost.

Second idea: The letter was addressed to God himself. The sentence in the story is: "It was nothing less than a letter to God." This uses "nothing less than" to emphasize that it was truly a letter to God.

Third idea: The postman saw this address for the first time in his career. The sentence in the story is: "Never in his career as a postman had he known that address." This uses "never" to emphasize that this was the first time.

Now students, let us look at the section about Metaphors. A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two things or ideas by transferring a quality or feature from one thing to another. The word "metaphor" comes from a Greek word meaning "transfer".

Some common metaphors are "the leg of the table" and "the heart of the city". In "the leg of the table", the leg that supports our body is compared to the object that supports a table. In "the heart of the city", the heart, which is an important organ in the centre of our body, is used to describe the central area of a city.

Now we need to find metaphors from the story to complete the table. Let me give you the answers.

The first one is already done: "Cloud" is compared to "huge mountains of clouds". The quality compared is the mass or hugeness of mountains.

For "Raindrops", the metaphor is "new coins". The quality compared is value and usefulness, just as coins are valuable.

For "Hailstones", the metaphor is "new silver coins". The quality compared is the shiny, valuable appearance of the hailstones.

For "Locusts", the metaphor is "a plague of locusts". The quality compared is the destructive power of locusts, which can destroy entire crops.

For the next one, the metaphor is "An ox of a man". The object is "man" and the quality compared is strength and hard work, like an ox that works in the fields.

Now students, we have completed all the language exercises. Let us now look at the Speaking activity.

The Speaking activity asks: Have you ever been in great difficulty, and felt that only a miracle could help you? How was your problem solved? Speak about this in class with your teacher.

Students, this is an opportunity for you to share your personal experiences. Think about a time when you faced a difficult situation and felt that only a miracle could help you. Maybe it was during an exam when you didn't study enough, or maybe it was when you were sick and needed to recover quickly, or maybe it was when your family faced a financial crisis. Talk about how the problem was solved. Did someone help you? Did something unexpected happen? Did you pray to God for help? Share your experiences with your teacher and classmates.

Now let us look at the Listening activity. The chapter provides a passage for listening practice. Let me read the passage to you, and then we will fill in the table.

The passage is a letter written by Jaya to her friend Arti. Here is the passage:

Bhatt House 256, Circuit Road Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

25 January 2006

Dear Arti,

How are you? I'm sorry I haven't written for a very long time. I think I last sent you a birthday card in the month of September 2005.

We have just moved house (see our new address above). This is our new home. Sarah has just about started going to school. We have admitted her to 'Little Feet' as this is very close to our new home.

I'm sitting here by the window sill, writing to you. There is a slight drizzle outside and I'm reminded of the good times we had together at Bangalore last year.

Do write back. Love,

Jaya

Now let me fill in the table:

The writer apologizes because she hasn't written for a very long time.

The writer has sent this letter to the reader.

The writer sent it in the month of January, specifically January 25, 2006.

The reason for not writing earlier is that she hasn't written for a very long time, and she last sent a birthday card in September 2005.

Sarah goes to a school called "Little Feet".

Jaya is writing to Arti.

They were last together in Bangalore last year.

Now students, let us look at the Writing activity. The Writing activity asks us to design a poster for our area on how to save water during summer and when it is available in excess.

This is a creative activity where you need to think about water conservation. In India, we face both problems: water scarcity in summer and floods in some regions. The poster should show ways to save water, such as turning off taps while brushing, using buckets instead of showers, harvesting rainwater, and reusing water for gardening.

You can draw pictures and write catchy slogans on your poster. Make sure the message is clear and easy to understand. This is an activity that you can do at home and present to your teacher.

Now students, we have completed all the exercises and activities for "A Letter to God". But wait, your textbook also includes two poems at the end: "Dust of Snow" and "Fire and Ice". These are by the famous American poet Robert Frost. Let me teach you these poems as well.

First, let us look at "Dust of Snow".

The way a crow Shook down on me The dust of snow From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart A change of mood And saved some part Of a day I had rued.

ROBERT FROST

Students, this is a very short but meaningful poem. Let me explain the difficult words. "Hemlock" is a poisonous plant or tree with small white flowers. "Ru ed" means held in regret.

Now let me explain the poem. The poet is describing a moment in winter when a crow shakes the dust of snow from a hemlock tree onto him. This simple event changes his mood. He was having a bad day, feeling regretful or sad about something. But the snow falling on him somehow changed his mood and saved part of his day from being completely ruined.

This poem shows that sometimes small, unexpected moments can have a big impact on our lives. The poet was probably having a terrible day, but this little incident with the snow made him feel better. It reminds us that joy can come from the simplest things in nature.

Now let me answer the "Thinking about the Poem" questions for "Dust of Snow".

First question: What is a "dust of snow"? What does the poet say has changed his mood? How has the poet's mood changed?

The "dust of snow" is the light powder of snow that falls from a tree when something disturbs it. In this case, a crow shook the snow off a hemlock tree, and it fell on the poet. The poet says that this event has given his heart a change of mood. He was feeling sad and regretful about something, but the snow falling on him made him feel better. His mood changed from sad to slightly happier. He says that some part of his day, which he had regretted, was saved.

Second question: How does Frost present nature in this poem?

Frost presents nature in a simple but powerful way. He uses ordinary elements like a crow, a hemlock tree, and snow. But these ordinary things become meaningful because of what they represent. The crow is usually seen as a bird of ill omen, associated with death and sadness. The hemlock tree is poisonous. So both the crow and the hemlock tree represent sorrow and negativity. But the snow, which is usually associated with purity and calm, falls on the poet and changes his mood. This shows that even in the darkest moments, there can be light and joy. Frost shows that nature can have a profound effect on our emotions, even in its simplest forms.

Third question: Have there been times when you felt depressed or hopeless? Have you experienced a similar moment that changed your mood that day?

This is a personal question for you to think about. Try to remember a time when you were feeling sad or hopeless, and something small happened to change your mood. Maybe it was a kind word from a friend, or a beautiful sunset, or a child's smile. Share these experiences with your classmates.

Now students, let us look at the second poem: "Fire and Ice".

Some say the world will end in fire Some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favour fire.

But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice.

ROBERT FROST

Let me explain the difficult words. "Perish" means die, and "suffice" means be sufficient.

Now let me explain the poem. The poet is talking about how the world will end. Some people say the world will end in fire, and some say it will end in ice. The poet has tasted desire, which is like fire, so he agrees with those who say the world will end in fire. But if the world had to perish twice, the poet thinks he knows enough about hate to say that ice would also be great for destruction.

This poem uses "fire" and "ice" as metaphors. Fire represents desire, passion, and greed. Ice represents hate, coldness, and indifference. The poet is saying that both desire and hate can destroy the world. Fire destroys through passion and greed, while ice destroys through hatred and indifference.

Now let me answer the "Thinking about the Poem" questions for "Fire and Ice".

First question: There are many ideas about how the world will "end". Do you think the world will end some day? Have you ever thought what would happen if the sun got so hot that it "burst", or grew colder and colder?

This is a question for you to think about. Scientists believe that one day the sun will run out of fuel and may eventually destroy the Earth. Some theories say the sun will expand and engulf the Earth, while others say it will freeze. But for now, we don't need to worry about this. The poem is more about the metaphorical end of the world, meaning the destruction of humanity through our own actions.

Second question: For Frost, what do 'fire' and 'ice' stand for?

For Frost, "fire" stands for desire, passion, greed, and all the hot emotions that drive humans to want more and more. "Ice" stands for hate, coldness, indifference, and rigidity. Both can lead to destruction. Fire destroys through burning passion, while ice destroys through freezing hatred and lack of compassion.

Looking at the words in the box: greed, avarice, cruelty, lust, conflict, fury, intolerance, rigidity, insensitivity, coldness, indifference, hatred. Fire represents greed, avarice, lust, conflict, fury, and intolerance. Ice represents rigidity, insensitivity, coldness, indifference, and hatred.

Third question: What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? How does it help in bringing out the contrasting ideas in the poem?

The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABA ABC BCB CC. Let me explain. The first stanza has three lines: "fire," "ice," and "desire." The rhyming words are "fire" and "desire" (not perfect rhyme but close), and "ice" stands alone. Actually, let me look more carefully.

"Some say the world will end in fire" - A "Some say in ice." - B "From what I've tasted of desire" - A "I hold with those who favour fire." - A

So the first stanza has the rhyme scheme ABA A.

"But if it had to perish twice," - B "I think I know enough of hate" - A "To say that for destruction ice" - B "Is also great" - C "And would suffice." - C

So the second stanza has the rhyme scheme B A B C C.

The rhyme scheme helps bring out the contrasting ideas because the poem talks about fire and ice, which are opposites. The alternating rhymes create a sense of balance and contrast between the two elements. The poem moves from fire to ice, showing that both are equally dangerous in different ways.

Now students, we have completed the entire chapter. Let me now give you a summary of everything we have learned today.

In today's lesson, we studied the chapter "A Letter to God" from your NCERT textbook. We started by understanding the pre-reading activity about Money Orders, which helped us understand how money is sent through the post office. This was relevant to the story because Lencho writes a letter to God, and the post office plays an important role in what happens next.

We then read the story about Lencho, a farmer whose crops are destroyed by a hailstorm. Despite his loss, Lencho has complete faith in God and writes a letter asking for a hundred pesos. The postmaster, moved by Lencho's faith, decides to answer the letter by collecting money from his employees and friends. He sends Lencho seventy pesos and signs the letter "God". When Lencho receives the money, he is not surprised because he expected God to help him. However, he becomes angry when he counts the money and finds it is less than what he asked for. He writes another letter to God asking for the rest of the money and accuses the post office employees of being crooks. This is the irony of the story: the people who helped him are being accused of stealing.

We then answered all the "Thinking about the Text" questions, which helped us understand the story better. We discussed Lencho's faith, the postmaster's kindness, the irony of the situation, and the two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves.

After that, we worked on the "Thinking about Language" exercises. We learned about different names for storms, the different meanings of the word "hope", relative clauses, using negatives for emphasis, and metaphors. These language exercises helped us understand the story better and improve our English language skills.

We also did the Speaking activity, where we thought about times when we faced difficulties and felt that only a miracle could help us. We did the Listening activity, where we listened to a letter and filled in the table with information about the writer and the recipient. And we looked at the Writing activity, where we need to design a poster about saving water.

Finally, we studied the two poems by Robert Frost: "Dust of Snow" and "Fire and Ice". In "Dust of Snow", we learned how a small moment with nature can change our mood and save a day that we had regretted. In "Fire and Ice", we learned how both desire and hate can lead to destruction, and how the poem uses fire and ice as metaphors for these human emotions.

This concludes our lesson on Chapter 1: A Letter to God. I hope you all understood the story and the exercises well. Remember, the key message of this story is that faith can move mountains, but sometimes the help we receive comes from unexpected places. And always remember to be grateful for what you have, because there are people in the world who are less fortunate than us.

Thank you for listening attentively. See you in the next class.