Zelda franchise strategy guide/Gossip Stone

Gossip Stones, or Sheikah Stones, are recurring items in The Legend of Zelda series. Their appearance and use varies from one game to another.

Appearances
The Gossip Stones are first introduced in Ocarina of Time, and appear as gray standing stones, scattered about Hyrule and engraved with the symbol of the Sheikah, their original creators. When first encountered they are a mystery, serving no apparent purpose, but upon persistent experimentation they are found to contain many easter eggs, such as revealing the current in-game time when struck by Link's sword, cartoon-ish physical reactions when attacked with various other weapons, and revealing a wealth of interesting information regarding the game's plot, specific characters, or back-story, with occasional tidbits about the game itself. When struck by an exploding bomb, it will change color and beep as if in a countdown. Shortly after, it takes off like a rocket, and will continue until it is no longer visible. If there is a ceiling overhead, it will explode on the ceiling. These small pieces of gossip, usually taken from an overheard conversation, are only discovered when the Mask of Truth, the reward for a long, optional side quest, is worn.

The stones return with the same form and function in Majora's Mask.

In The Wind Waker, Gossip Stones return as small, rare pendants that can be used to communicate at a distance. These advanced Gossip Stones were created by Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule. Such a pendant is used by Tetra and The King of Red Lions to communicate with Link.

Gossip Stones make a reappearance in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess as howling stones used to summon the Golden Wolf (also known as the Hero's Shade).