How do I get the little Maiamai out of trees?

A few times now I have see little Maiamai sitting on the tops of trees, and I cannot for the life of me figure out how to get them down.

How do I rescue these little guys from the treetops?

Solution 1:

In order to get the Maiamai out of the top of the trees and pillars, you first need the Pegasus Boots. To get those, you need to sneak up behind the thief in town with your 2D form, and the surprise him by popping out right behind him. (Note, this can only be done after seeing him steal the Smooth Gem.)

Afterwards, it's simple. Just hold down L for a short time, and then you'll run into the tree and the little Maiamai will get knocked down for you to collect.