Peggy Jean Hart, age 10, of Winston‑Salem, North Carolina, for her question:

What is fox fire?

Fox fire is a pale, eerie light which glows at night in certain woods and forests. 1f you believe in ghosts, which, of course, you do not, this unearthly glow may scarp you silly. It occurs only at night and only in damp wooded areas.

If you are not afraid to investigate you will find that the ghostly glow is coming from some rotting log or damp tree trunk. If you peel off a slice of this damp wood you can take the erie ghost right home with you. It turns out to be no more than a fungus. Chances are it will be Armillaria mellea, a fungus which gives off a pale glow in the dark. It will not show up in the bright light.