It's been almost six years since Stardew Valley's original release, but the indie farming RPG remains one of the most popular titles in its genre. This popularity is partially thanks to the wonderfully immersive Pelican Town, which draws players into its small town drama and relaxed country lifestyle. Stardew Valley players will spend hours discovering the town's secrets, including a rather scandalous one about Mayor Lewis.
On the third day of Summer in the game's first year, players will receive a letter with a quest from Mayor Lewis. The Mayor has lost his lucky purple "shorts," and he will ask players to discreetly locate and return them to him. However, the location of the shorts hints at one of Pelican Town's secret stories.
Where to Find the Mayor's Shorts in Stardew Valley
Mayor Lewis doesn't give players much information when he sends them off to find his shorts, and the reason for that will soon become apparent. Players should start by heading down to Marnie's Ranch, which can found to the south of the farm and west of Pelican Town.
Walking past the counter where Marnie sells animals and supplies will reveal that the shorts are in her bedroom, which can be seen at the top of the screen. Players can only guess at why Mayor Lewis' lucky "shorts" might be in Marnie's bedroom, but getting them isn't as easy as spotting them.
Making Friends with Marnie in Stardew Valley
Unfortunately, players can't just walk into NPC's private rooms in Stardew Valley until they've become friends. This means players will have to befriend Marnie before they can retrieve Mayor Lewis' shorts. The easiest way to do this is by giving her gifts, up to two each week. Here are some recommended gifts that will make it easy to raise Marnie's friendship:
- Farmer's Lunch (Loves)
- Pumpkin Pie (Loves)
- Eggs (Likes)
- Milk (Likes)
- Quartz (Likes)
- Flowers, except for Poppies (Likes)
Once players have reached friendship level 2 with Marnie, indicated by two hearts beside her name on the social tab, they'll be able to enter her bedroom. From this point on, it's as simple as retrieving the shorts and returning them to Lewis, which will award 750g and a friendship heart with the Mayor.
Rather than return them immediately, players can also use the shorts to play a couple of pranks on Lewis. One example is placing them on the Grange Display at the Stardew Valley Fair, which will result in Mayor Lewis bribing the player with 750 Star Tokens in order to take them down. Another fun easter egg is that players can combine them with a bar of gold in the sewing machine to make gold-trimmed lucky purple shorts. These can be worn for unique dialogue with Mayor Lewis and Marnie.
Stardew Valley is available on PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, and iOS.