Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening contains plenty of secrets and awkwardly placed quest items. When you run into Richard, he wants you to find five golden leaves in the castle, and if you do that, he says he has a reward for you. You will, however, need a shovel if you want to be able to get at that reward.
How To Get A Shovel In Link’s Awakening On Switch
To get a shovel, you need to head for the shop in Mabe Village. There, you can buy a shovel for 200 Rupees. If you don’t have enough Rupees, then you might want to play the claw game in the Village to farm them. There is an alternative way to get them if you are feeling a bit mischievous.
Usually, when you go to the shop in Mabe Village, you pick up an item, walk over to the shopkeeper, then pay and leave. You have the opportunity to steal something, however.
To steal something, you need to be able to get it out of the shop without the shopkeeper seeing you take it. Otherwise, he stops you at the door. To prevent him from arresting you, run around him in circles, and then rush out when his back is away from the door. This trick might take you a few tries, but if you keep at it, eventually you will succeed.
The problem is that everyone knows you are now a thief. Yes, you might be helping out with all the monsters, but that is no excuse to think you can take what you want. When you return to the shop, the shopkeeper will enact his revenge.
When you go back to the shop, the shopkeeper is waiting and will smite you with a bolt of lighting that makes you wonder why he is looking after a shop when he could be out destroying monsters himself.