Answer:
What is not a ball but yet a sphere, and holds all lands and people year after year?
Come up and we go, Go down and we stay.
The eight of us go forth not back to protect our king from a foes attack.
if I drink I die if I eat I am fine what am i
It's shorter than the rest, but when you're happy, you raise it up like it's the best. What is it?
What sphinxes employ and players enjoy.