A Letter to God

Lencho was a farmer who lived on the crest of a low hill with his wife and sons. His fields in the valley needed only a little rain or a shower to give a good harvest.

While Lencho's family was eating supper, big raindrops began to fall and a strong wind blew. Soon large hailstones destroyed the corn, flowers, and even the leaves on the trees. The field was white as if covered with salt.

All through the night Lencho thought only of one hope: help from God. The next morning he wrote a letter to God asking for a hundred pesos so that he could sow his field again and live until the next crop.

The postmaster, a fat, amiable man, was moved by Lencho's faith. He did not want to shake that belief. He collected money from his employees, friends, and even gave part of his own salary.

When Lencho came to the post office the following Sunday, the postman handed him the letter. Lencho was not at all surprised to find money inside. He had firm faith in God.

Lencho went immediately to the writing desk and asked for paper and ink. He wrote another letter to God. He thanked God for the money, but asked for the rest of the thirty pesos.

The story ends on a note of sharp irony. The very people who showed kindness and gave their own money to help Lencho are the ones he calls crooks. He trusts God completely but refuses to trust human beings: even those who acted out of goodwill and conscience.

The ending is deeply ironic. Lencho's faith in God is absolute, yet his faith in his fellow human beings is zero. The postmaster and his employees collected money out of genuine sympathy, yet Lencho assumes they stole thirty pesos. He thanks God for the help that actually came from ordinary people. The story thus contrasts blind faith, human charity, and the comic-tragic gap between what Lencho believes and what really happened.