What goes up but never comes down?

Today is a very icy and cold morning in Newcastle. Mr Shearer, an office bus driver arrived to pick up the employees from the last stop. Shearer suddenly remembers that he needs to pick a newly joined 4miles to the north. Mr Shearer lost his direction compass, a few minutes later Shearer is able to figure that he is moving in the correct direction i.e. north. How did Shearer know that he is moving in the correct direction?

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

What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away?

What mathematical symbol can be put between 5 and 9, to get a number bigger than 5 and smaller than 9?

A police officer was passing by when he saw a guy hiding. He walked up to him and genially asked, "What is your name?"

"Shut up!" the boy responded.

"Where are your manners?" asked the outraged police officer.

"Up that tree," said the boy discourteously, directing to a neighbouring tree.

You're looking for trouble, aren't you?" said the police officer.

"No, trouble is looking for me!" the boy answered solemnly.

Why is the boy behaving like this?

A mathematics teacher took exams for his students. Out of the total students, 25% passed both the tests included in the exam. However, only 42% were able to clear the first test.

Can you find out the percentage of those students who passed the first test and also passed the second test?

A rubber ball keeps on bouncing back to 2/3 of the height from which it is dropped. Can you calculate the fraction of its original height that the ball will bounce after it is dropped and it has bounced four times without any hindrance ?

A frog is at the bottom of a 30-meter well. Each day he summons enough energy for one 3-meter leap up the well. Exhausted, he then hangs there for the rest of the day. At night, while he is asleep, he slips 2 meters backwards. How many days does it take him to escape from the well?

A king sentenced a man to the death sentence for some crime he had committed. Known for his kindness, the king told the culprit that he had a choice to die in a way he decides.

The culprit was clever and said something that saved him from death. What method do you think he must have chosen for his death?