European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 04, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse                                \ children play by Sid Whipple staff writer a vivid Canvas prodigiously popu lated by some 200 kids standing on their Heads walking Fence rails spinning tops shooting marbles Skinny dipping and otherwise composting themselves with Joyful abandon hangs on the dignified Walls of a Vienna museum. The painting is 408 years old the work of a Lusty flemish Painter whose master pieces show a zest for life and action unmatched by any of his contemporaries. He was Peter Bruegel the elder. At least half of the 84 children games depicted in the 25 Square feet of Brilliant color Are still played today by boys and girls All Over the world. Many of them Are what psychologist would Call the natural instinctive Ani Mal urge for physical development body building through muscular exer Cise. The boys run jump wrestle  girls dance ring around a Rosy play with pets carry their Young brother piggyback play with dolls balance Broom Sticks on their hands. In others the Dawn of Puppy love i apparent that exciting moment when the boy begins to show off before his girl Friend turning hand Springs thump ing his neighbor pulling hair climbing Trees and living dangerously As Tom Sawyer was to do three centuries later under the admiring gaze of his Friend Becky. Youngsters then As today de lighted in playing grown ups. So we see a boy dressed As a Clergyman wailing to minister to a wedding procession wending its Way towards his House. Anda Broad counter with various articles on it where the kids Are playing shop keeper without Cash registers of  modern game which continues to be popular with the younger an sometimes elder set is missing from Bruegel s listing. Nobody in his a exd infants is working a Jig saw Puzzle. He belgian government has remedied this omission. Last december it published a series of six postage Stamps reproduced from one Section of the Bruegel painting. The Stamps in vary ing denominations Are perforated and when fitted together form a comprehensive picture. Bruegel seems to pack an entire Vil Lage including its main Street a Millpond and the town Hall into his paint ing and every Inch of it teems wit activity. In the Center foreground a boy an girl Are rolling hoops one with Bells attached to its inner rim. No Hula hoops Are in evidence. Nearby two boys Are Riding a barrel and evidently trying to unseat each other As it careens Over the Street. A swimming scene in the upper lefthand Corner of the painting is note worthy in that it shows an Early in stance of the use of waterings two inflated bladders attached to the Youn swimmer s shoulders. The boy s com Panion without waterings is stripping off Hie shirt preparatory to taking the plunge. The stars and stripes two daring Young men close by Fence behind which some of their companions Are practising Handspring Handcart wheels Are running the Gauntlet be tween two rows of seated juveniles whore endeavouring to trip them up As they dash  Lively tug of War has the Center of the stage in the foreground surrounded by groups of boys and girls playing leapfrog. Stilt walkers High and Low stride through the Middle Section while further Down main Street a group of kids is playing follow the  spinning tops lashed into speedy whips rather than winding them up w Ith Cord As we do today was also apparently a favorite sport As several groups Are Active in this  up the Street a girl is running along holding something in her arms we Are told is a cake. This May be the forerunner of a popular sport in which housewives engage in a Pancake race running the distance while flipping the cakes in frying , Skittles marbles knuckle Bones and similar demonstrations of throwing skill occupy the attention of Many of the elder children while others Are amused by the innocent sport of hollering through a Bung hoi into a  if he wanted to escape from All the i roil what better could a boy do than go climb a tree but what did the 16th Century children do without bicycles and sports cars 12tvs Isar. A. ? ?.iisss-, i by Peter Bruegel the elder hangs in  museum Vienna fun 4, 1968 the stars and stripes Page 13