Weather and old age can cause trees to break, uproot, or fall, leaving dangerous conditions near houses and roads. When homeowners are responsible for taking care of dead or felled trees, they either hire a professional or do it themselves.

Paul Firbas decided to commission one of his friends to cut and remove a fallen tree in his yard. After Hurricane Sandy knocked it down, the plan was to cut it up to use for firewood. The New York professor and his buddy were in for an amusing surprise, and Paul chose to record the event.

Usually if not handled carefully, these types of situations can go one of two ways: right or wrong. Sometimes there are complications on the way to right but people manage to get there anyway. With any form of tree surgery, pros caution against being a DIYer as trees, power lines, and tools can be unpredictable.

Accidents can cause injuries to people and damage to homes, creating nightmares for property owners. With that said, when someone thinks they can manage just fine, the results can often be just that, or flat out unpredictable.

In the video below, Paul’s safety-gear-clad friend can be seen pushing a chainsaw back and forth, cutting at the top part of the fallen tree. It’s laying sideways and almost touching the ground, with the roots encompassed in a very large plate of dirt. Can you guess where this is going?

As the blade makes its way through the trunk, the “magic tree” quietly stands back up like a soldier at attention. Guess it wasn’t feeling being cut up and plotted an escape. Luckily though, it didn’t hit the lumberjack as it resurrected itself. Just like that, physics and clever roots took over and re-anchored the tree.

Cue up the video to see how both of the guys reacted to this unexpected turn of events. The tree was connected to equipment to keep it steady but clearly it had other plans. If you look carefully, the long branch that’s still attached to the trunk looks like it’s saying something through a gesture. Indeed, it got the last word. Hmmm. . .

Tree cutting is serious business, even in this funny video. So much so that it’s a billion dollar industry here in the U.S. Homeowners wanting to save money by handling the job themselves should ensure they’re taking proper safety precautions. According to the Tree Care Industry Association, from 2013 to 2016, there were 339 fatalities from tree incidents reported in the media.

While some people may be tempted to tap into their inner Paul Bunyan and take on a few felled trees, it’s best not to flirt with potential disaster. These guys weren’t expecting the tree to stand up for its rights and replant itself, so if you’re unsure about physics, leave it to the professionals. Plus, you’ve got to admire this tree’s spunk!

What are your thoughts on this entertaining tree surgery? Have you ever had a “magical moment” like this when doing yard work? Share with us in the comments!