I fly without wings and cry without eyes. What am I?

How to think about it

1. Flying without wings suggests something carried by the wind rather than something that flaps.
2. Crying without eyes suggests water falling from it like tears.
3. Put the two together: something that drifts across the sky and drops water, and that you can watch from any window on a gray afternoon.
4. A cloud floats on the wind and “cries” rain.

Why “a cloud” is the answer

Clouds move across the sky with no wings, pushed by the wind, and they release rain that falls like tears though they have no eyes. The riddle pairs two poetic images that only meet in one thing. Kites fly without wings but never cry, which is why the second clue matters. Fog is a cloud that has come down to the ground, so it would fit too.

Common wrong answers

• A kite. A kite flies without wings, but it never cries anything.
• A balloon. A balloon drifts without wings, but it does not drop water.