What goes up when the rain comes down?

How to think about it

1. Rain falls, so the riddle wants something that rises at the same moment.
2. Think about what people do the second they feel the first drops.
3. They open something over their heads. Picture the motion: the handle goes up and the canopy spreads.
4. The umbrella goes up as the rain comes down.

Why “an umbrella” is the answer

People raise an umbrella when rain starts, so the up and the down happen together. The riddle sets a trap by making you think of natural things that rise, like steam or rivers, when the answer is an object moved by a person. Once you picture a rainy sidewalk, the answer is right there.

Common wrong answers

• A river. River levels rise after heavy rain, but slowly and later, not as the rain comes down.
• Steam. Steam goes up from hot things, and rain does not create it.