Why is this the answer?

The answer is match because this clever little riddle tells the life story of a tiny wooden stick that helps us make fire! It uses tricky words and imagination to describe the different parts of a match and what happens when you light it. Let us look at the beginning: "Take one out and scratch my head." Think about a box of matches. They are all sitting neatly inside, like small, colorful tools waiting for their turn. When the riddle says "take one out," it means you are picking up just one of those matches. The "head" of the match is the small, round, colorful tip. This tiny tip is the most important part because it holds a special material that is ready to make a flame. To light the match, you have to "scratch" or rub that little head very quickly against the rough, sandy strip on the side of the box. That quick, exciting rub creates a little bit of heat and friction. This small spark of heat is what starts the fire, allowing the match to burst to life with a tiny, warm flame. Next, the riddle says, "I am now black but once was red." This part describes the amazing color change that happens after the match lights up and does its job. Before you strike it, the head of the match is the color the riddle talks about: "once was red." This bright color makes it easy to see. But as soon as you scratch it and the match lights up, the wood of the matchstick starts to burn. When the flame goes out, the smoke stops, and you are left with the used match. The wooden stick is all burnt up, dark, and charred. It has completely turned black! So the riddle perfectly describes how the match goes from having a red head to being a black, used stick, telling a complete story about a very useful, everyday object.