I don't think it matters a bit that the story isn't true. There is a very long tradition of apocryphal stories that contain a moral. People enjoy these kind of stories, because even if they are not true, they should be.

Do we know where the poor old guy is now? Does he have a roof over his head? I do hope he is not sleeping in a charred field thinking about people all over the world who are glad his house burnt down!