This is an old adult drinking game that is played "outside" of a Tavern or Pub. More than likely, the game is played after the players have "had a few".
Brueghel's depiction of this game in his painting may be his way of "moralizing" - something Brueghel did in a number of his paintings.
Someone is selected to be IT for the first round. IT holds a long stick. On the end of the stick is a string tied to a bag filled with an unpleasant liquid. (In some versions of this game, the bag contains stale beer!) As the players scatter, IT tries to clobber one or more of the players with the bag. The new IT is the one who gets wet. With a new IT, another round of the game is played.
In this game, there really are no winners. Normally, the players stop between rounds to "quaf" a few. Thus, the longer the game is played - everyone becomes a wet loser! Refererence to this game may be found in A.R. Taylor, Pub Games, 1976 (GV1225.G7T38).
Last update February 9, 2010