This riddle says you walk into a dark room with one match. Inside are a candle, a lamp, and a fireplace. The question is: What do you light first?
The answer is: the match.
Before you can light the candle, lamp, or fireplace, you first need to light the one match you are holding. The other objects are distractions designed to make you choose between them.
The trick is to follow the sequence literally. You cannot light any of the larger objects until the match is burning. That makes the match the unavoidable first step.
It is a simple riddle, but it catches people because the three obvious choices draw attention away from the tool needed to light them.
