Life and work
About William Henry Barker
Its title page identifies him as a former principal of the Government Institution in Accra, while the introduction describes gathering material with students who had teaching experience. The collection contains Anansi stories and other Gold Coast tales, including The Omanhene Who Liked Riddles. It should be understood as a compilation and retelling of oral traditions, while acknowledging the colonial framework expressed in its introduction.

Title page of West African Folk-Tales (1917), not a portrait of the author.