maiden maiden tell me true what can grow without the dew

The classic riddle goes:

Maiden, maiden tell me true,What can grow without the dew?

The traditional answer to this riddle is:

A stone can grow without the dew.

This answer refers to the natural process of weathering, where rocks and stones slowly break down and erode over time due to factors like wind, rain (not necessarily dew), and temperature changes. While not technically “growing” in the biological sense, stones can be worn down and their fragments can accumulate, creating the illusion of growth.