What brings you down but never up?

During an interview, the interviewer ordered hot coffee for the candidate to relieve the stress. The coffee was kept before him. After a minute, the interviewer asked him, 'What is before you?' He replied 'Tea'.

The candidate was selected immediately. Why?

In Greek mythology, the Sphinx sat outside of Thebes and asked this riddle of all travellers who passed by. If the traveller failed to solve the riddle, then the Sphinx killed him/her. And if the traveller answered the riddle correctly, then the Sphinx would destroy herself. The riddle:

What goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening?

Oedipus solved the riddle, and the Sphinx destroyed herself.

There are a number of books on a shelf. If one book is the 4th from the left and 6th from the right, how many books are on the shelf?

Jack was having a candle light dinner with his girlfriend. Suddenly a cold gush of wind entered through the open window and three of the ten candles were extinguished. Assuming that none of the other candles were extinguished.

How many candles are they left with in the end ?

There was a minor accident with a doctor's son but the doctor noticed no major injury. After the treatment, the father of that doctors son is sitting with the son of the doctor without the doctor being in the room.

How can this be possible?

They do not possess flesh or feathers or scales or bone
But still, they are blessed with fingers and thumbs of their own.

It comprises roots which nobody sees,
Much taller than those trees,
Up and up it goes,
Still it never grows?

John named his first son Alpha, second Beta, third Charlie and fourth Delta. What is the fifth son's name?

A boy collects white seashells from the sea and brings them home every night. When he has enough of them, he decides to sell them to a trader.

The trader is ready to buy the shells and he asks the boy about the quantity. At this, the boy starts calculating. He has a giant box that contains 3 mini boxes. Two of them have another mini box inside. If the giant box can hold 50 shells, how many brown shells can he sell to the trader?