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Timmy and Boomer, while hunting for foxfire (see notes below) to smear on their faces for a Halloween party in order to scare some of their female classmates, become trapped in the basement of an abandoned house in the woods that is scheduled for demolition. Lassie must face down and stop a determined bulldozer operator in order to save the boys. The closing scene where Mike and Lassie wear masks smeared with Foxfire, and then hide in the dark so that only the glowing substance is seen, is really interesting!
NOTES: Foxfire (thought to be from the French word "faux" meaning "false", and not the fox, a mammal) is a range of species of bioluminescence fungi present in decaying wood. A natural phenomenon, it is sometimes visible at night in forests, mostly on decaying tree trunks. It is frequently known as "fairy fire"because it is a soft light cold to the touch, yet can (at times) be strong enough to illuminate the dark. Recorded historical reference of this glowing fungi goes as far back as 380 B.C.E. to Aristotle's mention of the glowing substance. The Swedish historian Olaus Magnus wrote in 1652 that people in the far north of Scandinavia would place pieces of rotten oak bark with foxfire at intervals when venturing into the forest. They could then find their way back by following the light. Once taken from the wild it's been known to be quite durable, lasting for days in people's fridges, or being posted through the mail, etc. It's even been put to practical purposes in the past. So the next time you are out in the woods at night, and see a soft glow where there should be no light, you may be seeing Timmy and Boomer's foxfire!