About the Story
📖 Author & Summary
Author: G.L. Fuentes (Mexican writer)
Setting: A remote Mexican farmhouse before a storm
Theme: Unshakeable faith in God
Plot Summary
- Lencho is a farmer who expects a good harvest but a hailstorm destroys his crop
- He writes a letter to God asking for 100 pesos to replant and survive until the next harvest
- The postmaster, moved by Lencho's faith, collects 70 pesos and sends it in the name of God
- Lencho receives the money but finds only 70 pesos — he writes another letter blaming postal employees for stealing 30 pesos
Characters
- Lencho: Simple, hardworking farmer with deep, unquestioning faith in God
- Postmaster: A good-natured man; moved by Lencho's faith; takes initiative to help
- Postal employees: Contribute willingly to help a stranger
⚡ Central Irony
Lencho's faith in God is so absolute that when God "sends" him money through the humans, he suspects the humans (not God) of stealing — the very people who sacrificed to help him! This dramatic irony is the heart of the story.
🔑 Key Themes & Exam Points
- Theme: Faith vs. Doubt; Human kindness vs. Mistrust
- Lencho calls drops of rain "new coins" — shows farmer's economic dependence on rain
- Ironical ending: Lencho calls helpers "a bunch of crooks"
- Message: Blind faith can sometimes be ungrateful; yet human goodness is real