Significance to the Tale
During the time period it was written- It was showing that alchemy was a pseudoscience, not all religious people are good and trustworthy. The irony in the story is that he is a bad alchemist that steals, and he tells a tale about another bad alchemist that steals from people.
Modern time- Religious people are not always trustworthy. It is easy to loose money when it is easy to earn.
Modern time- Religious people are not always trustworthy. It is easy to loose money when it is easy to earn.