Yannūnāhaṁ imaṁ rukkhaṁ mūlato chetvā yāvadatthañca khādeyyaṁ ucchaṅgañca pūreyyan’ti.  
Why don’t I chop this tree down at the root, eat as much as I like, then fill my pouch?’
So taṁ rukkhaṁ mūlatova chindeyya.  
And so they’d chop the tree down at the root.