William Elliot Griffis's Dutch Fairy Tales for Young Folks represents a significant contribution to the preservation and transmission of Dutch folkloric traditions at a crucial historical juncture when rapid modernisation threatened traditional oral cultures. By collecting and adapting these narratives for young English-speaking readers, Griffis participated in the broader 19th and early 20th century movement to document folkloric traditions while simultaneously transforming them through new media and contexts.

The collection's focus on moral values inherent in Dutch folklore reflects how traditional narratives functioned as vehicles for cultural transmission across generations. Unlike modern entertainment that often separates amusement from instruction, these tales integrated both functions, providing engaging narratives that simultaneously reinforced community values and practical wisdom. Griffis's adaptation preserves this dual functionality while making it accessible to audiences outside its original cultural context.

Griffis's expertise in Dutch culture positioned him to serve as cultural translator, making these narratives accessible to English-speaking audiences while preserving distinctive elements that reflect particular Dutch historical experiences and values. This cross-cultural adaptation represents an important aspect of how folkloric traditions evolved in the modern era, maintaining relevance through translation while inevitably transforming through contact with new cultural contexts.

The illustrated format of the collection recognises how visual elements enhance folkloric transmission, particularly for younger audiences. This integration of text and image creates a multisensory experience that, while different from traditional oral storytelling, offers its own form of immersive engagement with cultural mythology. By introducing young readers to European cultural narratives through accessible adaptations, collections like this helped maintain continuity with traditional wisdom while adapting it to modern literary forms, preserving folklore not as static artifact but as living, evolving tradition.