Yu the Great (c. 21st century BC), mythical leader who tamed the floods / surname Yu
禹
=
丿
+
虫
+
冂
:
Yu the Great (禹) wants to impress Yu the Great (yu) in the space station's living room (Ø3) and studies a map (冂) of the world's rivers. After he decided where he want to build his dikes, he sends out an armada of mosquitoes (虫) carrying bananas (丿). The mosquitoes will drop the bananas at the determined positions and build dams with them so as to control the waters. Yu the Great is mildly impressed by these efforts.
禹
=
䖝
+
冂
:
Yu the Great (禹) studies a map (冂) in the space station's living room (Ø3) to build his dams, but he's confused about all the new rivers which seem to have formed recently. In reality Yu the Great (yu) played a prank on him: she put a slug (䖝) on the map which just left trails of slime.
prefecture / (old) province / (old) administrative division / state (e.g. of US) / oblast (Russia) / canton (Switzerland)
州
=
丶
+
丷
+
川
:
Mnemonic symbol: the red cotton tree, as it is the official flower of 广州 (Guangzhou). A new river (川) formed spontaneously in front of the outhouse (ou1), and James II of England (zh) was barely able to climb on a red cotton tree (州). Other animals are happy about this development: a mean crocodile (丷) is floating on a petal leaf (丶) towards the red cotton tree.
Sherlock Holmes (sh) started a supermarket (市) in the space station's bathroom (Ø4), but all he has for sale right now are berets (亠) and towels (巾). He should have opened it at the beach!