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Illustration for riddle: This thing all things devours:
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard s — Can you figure out this riddle?

This thing all things devours: Birds, beasts, trees, flowers; Gnaws iron, bites steel; Grinds hard stones to meal; Slays king, ruins town, And beats high mountain down.

Time

Why this works

This riddle personifies time as a powerful force that consumes everything in its path. The imagery of "devours" suggests that time relentlessly ages and erodes all things, whether they are living creatures like "birds" and "beasts," or inanimate objects like "iron" and "steel." Each line emphasizes time's ability to break down even the mightiest structures and beings, illustrating how it can diminish empires ("slays king, ruins town") and shape landscapes ("beats high mountain down"). This clever use of language highlights time's omnipresence and inevitability, making it a fitting answer to the riddle.

Common Wrong Answers

“Death”

While death does consume all living things, it does not literally affect non-living entities like iron or stones, which the riddle suggests.

“Nature”

Nature does influence and change things, but it does not specifically devour or grind down like time does.

“Age”

Age is a concept related to time, but it does not encapsulate the all-encompassing, destructive power attributed to time in the riddle.

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