public class MyAnimation implements Runnable		//make your class implement Runnable
{
	Thread anim;					//this is global
	.
	.						//Your other code
	.
	public void start()				//starts the animation, if you put it in an applet and call it 
	{						//start(), though, it will start it with the applet, so if you don't
		anim = new Thread(this)			//want that to happen, call it something else.
		anim.start();
	}						//relatively painless, right?

	public synchronized void stop ()		//this is how to stop the animation- the method doesn't need to be called
	{						//stop(), but the advantage is that it will call stop when you close the
		anim = null;				//applet, automatically stopping the animation for you (you're overriding
		notify();				//stop() in Applet, it has nothing to do with Runnable).  It should be
	}						//synchronized which means it can be executed at the same time as other
							//synchronized methods.
	public synchronized void run()			//This is the method you have to write to use Runnable.
	{
	.
	.						//Whatever initialization you want to do first
	.
		while (Thread.currentThread()==anim)	//key line, even if you don't remember what it does, remember it.
		{
			.				//here are the things happening in your animation, modifications, increment
			.				//counters, do some painting or call repaint()
			.
			try				//You still haven't learned to use try/catch statements, just trust me for
			{				//now on this.
				wait(50);		//the parameter in wait is the delay in milliseconds
			}
			catch (InterruptedException e)
			{
				break;			//if the animation is being interrupted (like when the window is closed)
			}				//leave the while loop and end the run method
		}
	}
}