$ tree /a asdf
+---asdf
|   \---basdf
|       \---rasdf
\---basdf
    \---rasdf

$ tar -zxv -f asdf.tar.gz -CReadTheF-ingManual
tar: ReadTheF-ingManual: Cannot chdir: No such file or directory
tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now

$ tar -zxv -f asdf.tar.gz -CReadTheF-ingManual
asdf/
asdf/asdf/
asdf/asdf/basdf/
asdf/asdf/basdf/rasdf/
asdf/basdf/
asdf/basdf/rasdf/

$ tree /a READTHEF-INGMANUAL
$ READTHEF-INGMANUAL
\---asdf
    +---asdf
    |   \---basdf
    |       \---rasdf
    \---basdf
        \---rasdf