Who is the narrator or speaker of these stories? The text mentions the 'I-ness' of the speaker.

The provided text from Chapter 36 does not identify the narrator by name. In fact, it deliberately minimizes the narrator's role. The chapter states, "Enough of this 'I-ness' (ego) of the speaker; the playful Sai himself takes over and makes his own qualities heard by his devotees through someone." This suggests that the human author or storyteller is merely a vessel or a "pretext." The true source and orchestrator of the stories is presented as being Sai Baba himself, who provides the memories and ensures his life story is told to fulfill the desires of his devotees.