I’m tall when I’m young and short when I’m old. What am I?

How to think about it

1. People and plants get taller as they age, so the speaker is an object whose “life” uses it up.
2. Think of things that are consumed from the top down as they are used.
3. Pencils, bars of soap and candles all get smaller, but only one is tall and thin and burns away.
4. A new candle stands tall; by the end of its life it is a short stub.

Why “a candle” is the answer

A candle starts tall when it is new and burns down to a short stump by the time it is “old”, so its height runs backward compared with a growing child. The riddle gives an object a life story and lets the words young and old stand for new and used up. Pencils follow the same pattern, which is why they are a common second guess.

Common wrong answers

• A pencil. A pencil also gets shorter with use, so it is a reasonable alternative; the classic answer is a candle.
• A tree. Trees get taller as they age, which is the opposite of the riddle.