In this classic riddle, what grows when it eats but dies when it drinks?

Introduction / Context:
Riddle style questions like this one are popular in logic and puzzle sections because they test lateral thinking instead of direct factual recall. The statement "What grows when it eats but dies when it drinks" appears paradoxical if we only think about living organisms. However, the correct interpretation is metaphorical. The riddle describes the behavior of fire, which "grows" when it "eats" fuel and oxygen, but is extinguished when it "drinks" water. Understanding this helps students sharpen reasoning and creative problem solving skills that are useful in many aptitude exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The subject of the riddle grows when it eats.
• The same subject dies when it drinks.
• "Eats" and "drinks" are used in a figurative, non biological sense.
• We assume common everyday knowledge of how fire, plants, animals and objects behave.

Concept / Approach:
To solve such riddles, we first recognise that literal biological eating and drinking will not fit all parts of the statement. Instead, we map "eating" to consuming something needed to grow, and "drinking" to contact with a substance that stops or destroys the thing in question. Fire perfectly matches this pattern. A fire grows larger when it consumes fuel such as wood, coal, paper, or oil, and it is usually put out by water, as if it "dies" when it "drinks". This interpretation also explains why other options are only partial matches or completely wrong.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note that ordinary living things like children or plants need both food and water to grow, so they cannot die simply by drinking. Step 2: Consider non living processes or phenomena that spread or grow when they receive some substance, and stop when exposed to another substance. Step 3: Recall that a fire becomes larger when it "eats" fuel and has enough oxygen. Step 4: Remember that a common method to put out a fire is to throw water on it, so contact with water effectively kills or extinguishes it. Step 5: Conclude that "A fire" is the only option that satisfies both conditions of the riddle.

Verification / Alternative check:
We can verify the answer by trying to apply the riddle line to each option. A plant grows when it eats nutrients and drinks water, so water does not kill it under normal conditions. A child also needs food and water to survive. A balloon grows when you blow air into it and bursts when punctured, not when it "drinks". A sponge soaks up water and does not die by drinking. Only fire reliably gets bigger when supplied with more fuel, and is extinguished when water is poured on it. This cross check confirms that "A fire" is a consistent and unique solution.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
A plant: Needs both nutrients and water to live; water does not kill it in a normal scenario.
A child: A human being cannot grow without water, so drinking does not cause death in usual conditions.
A balloon: It bursts when pressure is high or it is punctured, not specifically when it drinks anything.
A sponge: It absorbs water and remains intact; water does not destroy it in the way described in the riddle.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners first focus only on living things and forget that riddles often use personification or metaphor. Another common mistake is to interpret "eats" and "drinks" too literally, instead of noticing that they refer more generally to consuming or coming into contact with different substances. Some may also rush to pick a familiar living organism such as a plant, without testing whether it truly dies by drinking. Careful reading of each clause and checking each option against both parts of the riddle helps avoid these errors.

Final Answer:
The riddle is referring to a fire, which grows when it "eats" fuel and dies when it "drinks" water.