ABSTRACT
Old Yiddish literature had no genre which can be defined as children's literature'. We encounter religious and secular texts: custom books, ethical literature, history books and also stories. One kind of book was indeed intended for children but was mostly used by adults; these were the Hebrew grammar books in Yiddish that a teacher at school would have employed in class and occasionally a pupil would consult and read. Yiddish stories were usually simpler in their structure and told rewarding examples of people in action, which ultimately convey a deeper and meaningful. The original Spanish novella was popular in the Low Countries, and after the publication of Cats's poem, two Dutch plays which adopted Cats's text wholly or partially were written and performed in Amsterdam. Therefore, as children's literature', the Spanish Pagan Woman or the Gypsy Woman could be tolerated and eventually accepted as permissible and rightful literature.
