Riddle: Dropped from the tallest building I live, dropped into water I die – what everyday object is this?

Introduction / Context:
This riddle describes an object that survives a drop from a very tall building but is ruined when placed in water. The wording uses live and die in a figurative way, meaning remains fine or is destroyed. The question tests the ability to translate poetic language into practical reasoning about materials and their properties.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- Dropping the object from the longest or tallest building does not destroy it, so it is not very fragile to impact in this context.

- Dropping the same object into water causes it to die, meaning it is damaged beyond use.

- The options are common materials or objects: paper, glass, stone, and a metal ball.

- We assume that the riddle focuses on everyday behaviour of these materials under normal conditions, not rare extreme cases.

Concept / Approach:
Paper is light in weight and can survive a fall from a height because air resistance slows it down and the ground impact is gentle. However, paper reacts very badly to water. When soaked, it tears easily, ink runs, and the item becomes useless. In contrast, a stone, a metal ball, or a piece of glass are more resistant to water but can be cracked or broken by strong impacts from a height. Therefore, the contrast described in the riddle fits paper best.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Consider what happens if you drop each material from a tall building. Step 2: A sheet of paper will flutter and drift down slowly, often reaching the ground with little or no damage. Step 3: A glass object might shatter on impact with the ground, especially on hard surfaces. Step 4: A stone or metal ball will survive, but the riddle focuses on something that is harmlessly light rather than solid and heavy. Step 5: Next, think about what happens when each material is dropped into water. Paper quickly becomes wet, soggy, and ruined. Step 6: Glass, stone, and metal do not lose their basic structure in water, so they do not match the idea of dying. Step 7: Conclude that paper is the best fit for an object that survives a fall but is destroyed by water.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, imagine a newspaper or a letter. Dropped from a balcony, it flutters down safely. Dropped into a bucket of water, it becomes unreadable and falls apart. The words live and die emphasise usefulness rather than actual life. The behaviour of other materials is different and does not fit both parts of the description at the same time.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Glass: Can break when dropped from a tall building, so it may not live after the fall. Stone: Does not die in water; it simply sinks and remains the same. Metal ball: Also sinks without changing its form, so water does not ruin it. None of these options show the strong contrast between air and water that the riddle highlights.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners think about life and death literally and search for living creatures. Others focus only on the fall, ignoring the water clue. A balanced approach is to consider both conditions together. The trick is to realise that the riddle is about damage to an object, not about living beings.

Final Answer:
The object that lives after a great fall but dies in water is Paper.