The Garden Shrine in Frog Island has a series of riddles that can be a little confusing when you first encounter them. If you enjoy solving puzzles yourself, the game gives you several hints along the way, but some of the clues are easy to interpret in different ways.
In this guide, we will go through every Shrine riddle, including the hints and the final answers. I’ll keep the explanations simple so you can either use the clues to solve them yourself or skip straight to the answer when you’re ready.
Solving all of the riddles is also necessary for the Blossom achievement, so if you’re trying to complete your achievements, this shrine is definitely worth finishing.
Frog Island Shrine Riddles Guide – All Answers and Hints
The achievement connected to the Shrine is:
Blossom — “Unlock the mysteries of the garden shrine”
Before you can begin the Shrine puzzle, you need to reach Level 10 reputation.
Once you reach the required reputation, pray at the statue to start the quest.
From there, you’ll need to solve the four pillar riddles and then complete the final riddle at the Maiden Statue.
Upper Pillar Riddle
The first riddle is:
“Where quiet wishes softly sway,
A green embrace for brighter days,
A whisper small, where breezes roam,
Guiding fortune’s spirit home”
The important clues here are wishes, green, and the references to something small that moves in the breeze.
Upper Pillar Hints
If you’re trying to solve it yourself, the game gives you several useful hints:
- Inventory section: Ingredients
- Item type: Grown
- How to obtain it: Plant and grow it
If you want the answer without solving the riddle:
Answer: 4-Leaf Clover
The references to wishes and fortune point toward luck, while the green color and the small size fit a clover. A four-leaf clover is also traditionally associated with good luck, which explains the fortune-related wording.
So, plant and grow a 4-leaf clover and use it for the Upper Pillar.
Right Pillar Riddle
The next riddle reads:
“A tear of brine, by ocean wept,
Within a humble shell it slept,
A treasure pure, from watery hold,
More precious far than gems or gold”
This one is a little easier once you notice the references to the ocean, shell, and treasure.
Right Pillar Hints
The game’s hints tell you:
- Inventory section: Materials
- Item type: Material from fishing
- How to obtain it: Fishing
The highlighted clues include shell and treasure.
Answer: Pearl
A pearl is found inside a shell and is associated with the ocean, which explains the “tear of brine” wording. The treasure reference also makes sense because pearls are valuable.
You can obtain the Pearl by fishing.
Bottom Pillar Riddle
The Bottom Pillar gives you this riddle:
“From whispers of the cosmic night,
A sparkle pure, a fading light,
Collected where the sky’s tears gleam,
A captured wish for silent dreams”
This one is heavily focused on the sky and stars.
Bottom Pillar Hints
If you’re stuck, the available clues point toward:
- Inventory section: Materials
- Item type: Potential quest reward
- How to obtain it: Daily quests
The emphasized words include sparkle and cosmic.
Answer: Stardust
The cosmic-night and sky references point toward stars, while the sparkling description fits stardust.
The wording about a “captured wish” also seems to reference a shooting star. The “sky’s tears” and fading light reinforce that same idea.
To get Stardust, look toward the rewards from daily quests.
Left Pillar Riddle
The Left Pillar has one of the more mysterious riddles:
“Her echo swims in depths profound,
Indigo dreams, by stars unbound,
Sought where midnights veil descends,
Through fleeting grace, the current ends”
There are several references to swimming, depths, and currents, so you should already be looking for something connected to the water.
Left Pillar Hints
The game points you toward:
- Inventory section: Critters
- Item type: Fish
- Where to find it: Central Isle or Maiden’s Hut
The most important clue is probably the word her.
Answer: Maiden
The references to swimming, depths, and currents all point toward a fish. The word “her” helps identify the specific fish you need: the Maiden.
You can find the Maiden at Central Isle or Maiden’s Hut.
Maiden Statue Riddle
After dealing with the four pillars, you’ll encounter the final riddle at the Maiden Statue.
It reads:
“Born of waters, still and deep,
Kissed by night while forests sleep,
A pure heart blooms where dreams are sown,
For the Maiden’s spirit, on her throne.”
This one returns to the game’s planting and growing mechanics.
Maiden Statue Hints
The available clues are:
- Inventory section: Ingredients
- Item type: Grown
- How to obtain it: Plant and grow it
The emphasized words include waters and blooms.
Answer: Lotus
The reference to being born from water points toward a water-growing plant, while “blooms” clearly suggests a flower.
The Lotus also fits the Maiden Statue thematically, particularly because the statue itself has a lotus-like crown.
To obtain the required item, plant and grow a Lotus using the appropriate aquatic seeds.
How to Finish the Shrine Quest
Once you’ve solved all four pillar riddles and provided the required items, you’re almost finished.
Return to the Maiden Statue and pray at it after completing all of the riddles.
That finishes the Shrine quest and unlocks the Blossom achievement.
If you’re having trouble with one particular riddle, I recommend checking the inventory category and acquisition method first. Those clues narrow down the possible answer considerably, so you don’t necessarily have to spoil every answer for yourself.