Bottom of the Well

The Bottom of the Well is a mini-dungeon from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. A cavernous complex, it can be completed at any point after Link has completed the Forest Temple and has learned the "Song of Storms". It is located below the Well of Three Features in the eastern section of Kakariko Village and is only accessible when Link is a child. The evil spirit Bongo Bongo was sealed inside the well, but it breaks free during the events of the game.

Child
Once Adult Link learns the "Song of Storms" from Guru-Guru—who paradoxically learned it from Link seven years earlier—he can return to the past and play the song for Guru-Guru. In response, the Windmill begins to turn rapidly, draining the water from the well and making it accessible. The architecture of the well bears similarities to the Shadow Temple and may have served as inspiration to the Sheikah as they constructed the Temple.

After navigating the well and defeating the Dead Hand, Link gains the Lens of Truth, a very useful tool for the Shadow Temple.

Adult
When Link arrives at Kakariko Village after completing the Water Temple, the entirety is in flames. Sheik can be seen staring into the well. When Link approaches it, the spirit of Bongo Bongo breaks free of its seal and begins crawling around the village in a shadowy mass. When Link tries to attack it, he is knocked out and awakens to find that it has moved to the Shadow Temple. Sheik then teaches Link the "Nocturne of Shadow", granting him access to the temple.

The Bottom of the Well cannot be accessed as an adult, as although the water is completely drained in the well, there is a rock blocking the front entrance of the mini-dungeon, though some players have managed to admit adult Link access into the Well through use of glitching.

Dungeon
The dungeon is similar to the Shadow Temple with its illusive floors and walls. It is infested with Gibdos, Keese, Like Likes, ReDeads, Skulltulas and Wallmasters. It also is home to a single Beamos and a large Green Bubble. Note that falling into the lower section of the well after climbing back up once will cause the ReDeads on the bottom floor to respawn and pose a threat if Link falls near them. The Lens of Truth is acquired by defeating the mini-boss, Dead Hand, and Link can obtain some Rupees, a Deku Shield and recover Gold Skulltula Tokens by searching the mini-dungeon. This is one of the few areas in Ocarina of Time where Silver Rupees can be found.

Upper level
A skeleton in the first room, when Z-targeted, says to "look for the eye of truth". To get to Dead Hand, Link must find a statue that floods the dungeon with water. If he plays "Zelda's Lullaby" while standing on the Triforce tile, the water will be drained from the floor. The lair of the Dead Hand is found near the entrance, through a small tunnel in a trench in the floor.

Once Link gets the Lens of Truth, he will be able to see other places of interest. There are small rooms previously hidden that contain keys. The room in the middle is riddled with holes that Link cannot see, and doors in the middle room will lead to various things, like Gold Skulltulas. Additional rooms will also become available once the water level is lowered. Also note that piles of dirt can usually be bombed to reveal Treasure Chests.

Lower level
The only way to get to the lower level is to fall through an invisible hole in the upper level. The first time Link falls down here, he will need to collect Silver Rupees to open the door to the upper level. There are many ReDeads in the lower level, which are avoidable. The Dungeon Map can also be found here.

Items

 * Lens of Truth

Enemies

 * Beamos
 * Deku Baba
 * Fire Keese
 * Gibdo
 * Gold Skulltula
 * Green Bubble
 * Keese
 * Like Like
 * ReDead
 * Skulltula
 * Wallmaster

Mini-boss

 * Dead Hand

Master Quest
In the Master Quest port, several changes have been made. The objective is still to find the Lens of Truth, but it is now found on the bottom floor guarded by many ReDeads. To make the Treasure Chest appear, Link muse fall through a hole in the upper area that only opens after stepping on a specific switch. Playing "Zelda's Lullaby" no longer drains the well but instead opens a doorway to another room. To drain the well, Link must hit a nearby Crystal Switch. It also features new enemies such as Floormasters and Poes. Unlike the original, there is no real shortcut to finishing the mini-dungeon.

Theory
Through analyzing early builds of Ocarina of Time, many fans believe that the Bottom of the Well was originally meant to be the sewers below Hyrule Castle Town. At this time, the area was used to gain access to Hyrule Castle as opposed to the route that made it into the final build of the game.