1. Kokiri Forest
You can't leave the village until you have a sword and a shield, because Mido won't let you past. The Deku Shield is 40 Rupees at the Kokiri Shop. Cut grass and check around the village for the money. The Kokiri Sword is in the Forest Training Center: crawl through the little hole in the wall, keep to the sides so the rolling boulder doesn't flatten you, and look for the chest at the end. Equip both (it's not enough to just have them!) and Mido will grumble and step aside.

2. Inside the Deku Tree
Climb up the vines and walls inside the tree. On one of the upper floors you'll find the Fairy Slingshot in a chest. Use it on anything hanging from the ceiling or perched up high. When you've explored the upper levels, go back to the top and jump down onto the big spider web in the middle of the floor to break through to the basement.

In the basement you'll need to burn webs. Light a Deku Stick on a lit torch and touch it to the web (or to an unlit torch). Before the boss there are three Deku Scrubs you have to hit in a certain order. One of them tells you the order if you listen, so I'll let you do this one yourself.

BOSS: Queen Gohma. Wait for her eye to turn red and hit it with the slingshot. She'll fall over, stunned. Run in and slash her until she gets up. When she climbs the walls, target her and keep watching the eye. Her babies are easy, just don't let them pile up. You get a Heart Container, and the Great Deku Tree gives you the Kokiri's Emerald.

3. Hyrule Field, Lon Lon Ranch and the Castle
Out in Hyrule Field the owl will talk to you for a long, long time. He'll do that a lot. Go north to Castle Town. At night the drawbridge goes up and skeletons come out of the ground in the field, so try to cross in the daytime.

Near the castle you'll meet Malon, who gives you a Weird Egg. It hatches into a Cucco after a while. Her dad Talon is asleep by some crates at the side of the castle. Wake him up with the Cucco, then push the crates into the water so you can climb up into the castle grounds. Sneak through the courtyard without the guards seeing you (watch where they look, and go when they turn) and you'll meet Princess Zelda. Afterward, Impa teaches you Zelda's Lullaby, and you get Zelda's Letter.

Side trip: go to Lon Lon Ranch and talk to Malon while she's singing in the corral. She teaches you Epona's Song, and you'll want it later. Trust me.

4. Death Mountain and Dodongo's Cavern
Go east to Kakariko Village and show Zelda's Letter to the guard at the gate to Death Mountain. Before you head up, go back to the Lost Woods and follow the music to Sacred Forest Meadow, where Saria teaches you Saria's Song. Then climb up to Goron City. Darunia, the Goron chief, is in a terrible mood. Play Saria's Song for him. (Yes, really.) He cheers up and gives you the Goron's Bracelet, so you can pick up Bomb Flowers.

Use a Bomb Flower to blast open the entrance to Dodongo's Cavern on the mountain trail. Inside, Bomb Flowers are everywhere and you'll be blowing up walls a lot. Partway through you'll get your own Bomb Bag, which makes everything easier. There's a giant Dodongo skull in the cave: you'll need to do something about its eyes to open the way forward.

BOSS: King Dodongo. When he stops and sucks in air to breathe fire, throw a bomb (or a Bomb Flower) into his open mouth. It goes off inside him and he goes down. Run up and slash. When he starts rolling around the room, get out of the way. Darunia gives you the Goron's Ruby and makes you his Sworn Brother.

5. Zora's Domain and Jabu-Jabu's Belly
Follow Zora's River up to the waterfall. Stand on the Triforce symbol and play Zelda's Lullaby. The falls part and you can walk into Zora's Domain. King Zora is worried about his daughter, Princess Ruto.

Play the diving game in Zora's Domain to win the Silver Scale. Then go down to Lake Hylia and dive for the bottle at the bottom. It has Ruto's Letter in it. Show it to King Zora and he'll shuffle out of the way. Keep the empty bottle, catch a fish in it, and give the fish to Lord Jabu-Jabu in Zora's Fountain. He swallows you. That's normal.

Inside you'll find Princess Ruto, who is bossy and needs carrying. Pick her up and take her with you. Throw her onto switches when you need weight on them. In here you get the Boomerang, which is great against the jellyfish things.

BOSS: Barinade. It's hanging from the ceiling by its tentacles. Target the tentacles and hit them with the boomerang until it drops. Then it spins jellyfish around itself. Boomerang the jellyfish, then attack. Repeat. Ruto gives you the Zora's Sapphire.

6. The Door of Time
Head back to Castle Town. As you arrive, you see Zelda and Impa racing away on a horse, and a man in black armor on a black horse right behind them. That's Ganondorf. Go to the moat, where Zelda has thrown you the Ocarina of Time, and you learn the Song of Time.

Go into the Temple of Time, put the three Spiritual Stones on the altar, and play the Song of Time. The Door of Time opens. Walk in and pull the Master Sword.

And that's the end of being a kid (for now). On to Part Two.