Here Comes a Letter: Class 3 EVS Chapter 17

The Story of a Letter's Journey

Let's imagine a girl named Reena has written a letter to her friend, Ahmed, who lives in another city. First, she writes her message on a piece of paper. Then, she folds it and puts it inside an envelope. On the front of the envelope, she carefully writes Ahmed's full name, his house number, the name of his street, his city, and most importantly, his PIN code. She sticks a small, colourful stamp on the top right corner. This stamp is like a ticket for the letter's journey. Now the letter is ready! Reena goes to the big red postbox near her house and drops the letter inside. Later, a postman comes with a key, opens the postbox, and collects all the letters. He takes them in a big bag to the main post office. There, the letters are sorted into different piles based on the city they need to go to. Reena's letter is put into a bag for Ahmed's city and is sent on a train. When it reaches Ahmed's city, it goes to another post office. The letters are sorted again, this time by area, and finally, the local postman delivers the letter right to Ahmed's doorstep. What an amazing trip for a piece of paper!

How a Letter Travels: Step-by-Step

1. Step 1: Writing the Letter — First, you write your message on paper and put it in an envelope. You must write the complete address of the person you are sending it to, including their name and PIN code.
2. Step 2: Sticking a Stamp — You need to buy a postage stamp from the post office and stick it on the envelope. This pays for the letter's journey.
3. Step 3: Posting the Letter — Drop the sealed and stamped envelope into a red letterbox (postbox).
4. Step 4: Collection and First Sorting — A postman collects all the letters from the postbox and takes them to the local post office. Here, letters are sorted based on the destination city or state.
5. Step 5: Transportation — The sorted letters are put into big mailbags and sent to other cities by train, bus, or aeroplane.
6. Step 6: Sorting at the Destination — When the mailbag reaches the destination city's main post office, the letters are taken out and sorted again, this time according to the specific areas and streets within that city.
7. Step 7: Final Delivery — The local postman takes the letters for his area and delivers them to the correct houses. Your letter has reached its destination!

Key Things About Sending a Letter

• Always write the full and correct address, including the person's name, house number, street, city, and state.
• The PIN Code is very important! It is a 6-digit number that helps the post office sort letters quickly and send them to the right area.
• You must stick a postage stamp on the envelope. The stamp is the payment for the letter's journey.
• A post office is a place where you can buy stamps, envelopes, and send letters or parcels.
• The person who collects letters from the postbox and delivers them to our homes is called a postman.

Practice Questions with Solutions

• Why is it important to write a complete address on a letter?
  A: Step 1: A letter travels through many places and is handled by many people.
  Step 2: The postman needs to know the exact house, street, and city to deliver the letter.
  Final answer: It is important to write a complete address so that the postman can deliver the letter to the correct person and place without any confusion.

• What is the first thing a postman does with the letters he collects from a postbox?
  A: Step 1: After collecting letters from the postbox, the postman does not deliver them directly.
  Step 2: He takes all the letters in a bag to the post office for sorting.
  Final answer: The first thing a postman does with the collected letters is take them to the post office to be sorted.

• What is a PIN code and why is it useful?
  A: Step 1: PIN stands for Postal Index Number. It is a special 6-digit code for a particular area.
  Step 2: Each area in the country has a unique PIN code.
  Step 3: This code helps the postal workers to quickly identify the destination post office for the letter.
  Final answer: A PIN code is a 6-digit number for a specific postal area. It is useful because it helps in sorting the mail quickly and accurately, ensuring faster delivery.

• Imagine you are sending a birthday card to your friend. List the three most important things you must do before putting it in the postbox.
  A: Step 1: The first thing is to write my friend's full name and complete address, including the PIN code, on the envelope.
  Step 2: The second thing is to stick a postage stamp of the correct value on the top right corner of the envelope.
  Step 3: The third thing is to make sure the card is properly sealed inside the envelope so it doesn't fall out.
  Final answer: The three most important things are: 1. Write the full address with PIN code. 2. Stick a postage stamp. 3. Seal the envelope properly.

Frequently Asked Questions