What Goes in the Water Red and Comes Out Black? is a blacksmith’s riddle, the opposite of the lobster riddle. Guess, then tap Show Answer.
Riddle: What goes in the water red, and comes out black?
Answer: Iron
Need a hint?
A blacksmith heats it in a fire before shaping it.
Answer and explanation (spoiler!)
The answer is hot iron.
When iron is heated in a forge it glows red-hot. Blacksmiths plunge it into water to cool it, and it comes out dark grey-black.
It’s the reverse of “What goes in black and comes out red?”, whose answer is a lobster.
Difficulty: Hard · Best for: ages 10 and up
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FAQ
Why do blacksmiths cool iron in water?
It’s called quenching, and it hardens the metal quickly.
Are there other answers?
A red-hot coal also turns black in water. Iron is the classic answer.