The more it dries, the wetter it becomes. Can you tell what it is?

While house hunting in London, I came across a very good leasehold property Discussing the lease the landlady told me:

'The property was originally on a 99 years lease and two-thirds of the time passed is equal to four-fifths of the time to come. Now work it out for yourself and see how many years are to go!

I am taken from a mine and shut up in a wooden case, from which I am never released, and yet I am used by almost every person. What am I?

Can you find a number that lies one third of the distance between 1/3 and 2/3?

If you remove one from eleven, it becomes ten. If you remove one from nine, it becomes ten.

How is this possible?

In two decks of cards, what is the least amount of cards you must take to be *guaranteed* at least one four-of-a-kind?

You stand in front of two doors. A guard stands next to each door. You know the following things: one path leads to paradise, the other leads to death. You cannot distinguish between the two doors. You also know that one of the two guards always tells the truth and the other always lies. You have permission to ask one guard one question to discover which door leads to paradise. What one question would you ask to guarantee you enter the door to paradise?

I have eight fingers and two thumbs but I do not live. What Am I?

A monk has a very specific ritual for climbing up the steps to the temple. First, he climbs up to the middle step and meditates for 1 minute. Then he climbs up 8 steps and faces east until he hears a bird singing. Then he walks down 12 steps and picks up a pebble. He takes one step up and tosses the pebble over his left shoulder. Now, he walks up the remaining steps three at a time which only takes him 9 paces. How many steps are there?

An exterior architect is asked by a builder to plant seven trees in a manner that there are exactly six rows of trees in a straight line and each row has three trees in particular.

How will he do it?