Link’s Awakening Boomerang & Complete Item Trading Guide

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening boomerang was the first game to have a trading sequence. Acquire a sought-after item, trade it to someone in need on Koholint Island, and receive a thing in return to trade with someone else.

While other Zelda games have featured trading sequences, Link’s Awakening’s sequence is the longest, with a total of 13 trades. Completing it is the only way to get the Magnifying Lens, which helps navigate the final dungeon and is required to get the boomerang. Let’s break down this series of trades so you can get your hands on that boomerang as fast as possible.

How to complete the trading sequence 

Win the Yoshi Doll 

In the trading sequence, the first item is the Yoshi Doll, which can be won at Trendy Game by playing the crane game. Upon scoring the Yoshi Doll and leaving the shop, Suhni will tell Link that his mom wants the Yoshi Doll. Talk to Mamasha in the house with two doors on the north side of Mabe Village with the Yoshi doll. Her baby’s cries will be soothed by the Yoshi Doll. You did a good thing, even though the Yoshi Doll is cute.

Give CiaoCiao the Ribbon

Mamasha gives you the ribbon in exchange. Go to the house where BowWow the Chain Chomp hangs out in Mabe Village. Enter the fitting room and talk to CiaoCiao. The ribbon is an accessory she wants.

Give Sale the Dog Food

CiaoCiao hands over a can of dog food. Go to Toronbo Shores, turn left, and enter the beach hut. If you see a monkey in a tree, you’ve gone a little too far. Inside the hut, you’ll meet Sale, an alligator who sells bananas. He wants the Dog Food for his collection (in his belly), and you have no use for it anyway.

Give Kiki the Bananas

The sale will give you a bundle of bananas for Dog Food. The next step is to head over to Kanalet Castle. This is part of the story. With the draw bridge raised, you have to find another way in. Head right, and you’ll discover Kiki, the monkey. When you give Kiki the bananas, he will summon his friends to build you a makeshift bridge.

Give Tarin the Stick

After the bridge is constructed, you will get a leftover stick. From there, you need to go to Ukuku Prairie. If you haven’t yet discovered the Slime Key (which grants access to Key Cavern), you need to do it first. Tarin will be standing in the prairie near a tree with a honeycomb sticking out. Ask him to give you the stick.

Give Chef Bear the Honeycomb

You get to keep the honeycomb after Tarin knocks it out of the tree. We are now going to visit a gourmet restaurant at the Animal Village. Once in the Animal Village, enter the southeast house and talk to Chef Bear. Chef Bear needs ingredients, so he will take the honeycomb from your hands.

Bring the Pineapple to Papahl

In return, Chef Bear will give you the pineapple. Now you have to go to Tal Tal Mountain Range. Climb the mountain, going through a series of caves. Eventually, you’ll see an exhausted Papahl. He’s a long way from Mabe Village, and he’s starving. Hand over the pineapple.

Give the hibiscus to Christine

In return, Papahl will graciously give you the hibiscus. We have to go back to the Animal Village now. At the northernmost edge of Animal Village, enter the house second from the right. Christine’s favorite flower is the hibiscus. Make her day.

Deliver the Letter to Mr. Write

Christine will ask you to deliver a letter to Mr. Write. Located in the upper left-hand corner of Koholint Island, his house is just north of the Mysterious Forest. Mr. Write is happy to hear from Christine and will even show you the included picture, naturally, Princess Peach.

Give Grandma Yahoo a new Broom

For your delivery skills, Mr. Write will give you a broom. You have no use for it, but Grandma Yahoo needs a new broom. You should visit Animal Village again. The upper-right hand corner in the picture shows Grandma Yahoo trying to sweep outside the house. Please give her a new broom since it’s not going well.

Bring the Fisherman the Fishing Hook

Grandma Yahoo is so thrilled with the new broom that she gives you a fishing hook. This next part can be tricky. It would be best if you went to Martha’s Bay. Turn right after Catfish’s Maw and swim around the bend toward the small bridge to the south. As soon as you reach the bridge, dive to enter a hidden side-scrolling screen. Hop aboard the boat.

Deliver the Mermaid’s Necklace

The Fisherman will be delighted to know you have a fishing hook. In exchange, he will give you the Mermaid’s Necklace, which he caught instead of fish.

Bring the Mermaid’s Scale to the statue

She is wading in the water just north of Catfish’s Maw. She lost her necklace. If you give it back, she will let you have one of her scales.

Get the Magnifying Lens

You can approach the mermaid statue just south of Catfish’s Maw after you have obtained the Mermaid’s Scale. The statue will move, revealing a staircase. Enter the cave to retrieve the Magnifying Lens.

A Magnifying Lens’ primary purpose is to enable you to read a book in the library that you couldn’t see before. Upon entering the Wind Fish’s egg, the book explains the path you must take.

Since the Wind Fish’s egg follows the same rules as the Lost Woods in Ocarina of Time, knowing the path is undoubtedly helpful, especially since it can be one of four possible paths.

Get the boomerang

Now that you possess the Magnifying Lens, you have a chance of obtaining the Boomerang. Navigate over to Toronbo Shores. Look directly to the south of Sale’s house at the beach, and you will see a collapsing wall. This would be a good target for a bomb. When you destroy the wall, you’ll see a cave entrance appear.

If you do not already have the Magnifying Lens, you will not even be able to see Goriya. If you have the Magnifying Lens, you’ll be able to communicate with him, and he’ll ask if you’d like to exchange one of your items for the boomerang. Goriya will accept any item besides Bombs, Magic Powder, the Bow, and the Power Bracelet (this is a requirement for the color dungeon).

Dissimilar to the original version of Link’s Awakening DX, it’s not essential what item you decide to swap. Talk to Goriya again after making the trade, and he will allow you to repurchase your object for 300 rupees. This removes the constant back-and-forth buying and selling necessary for the later versions of Link’s Awakening.