to guard / to defend / to keep watch / to abide by the law / to observe (rules or ritual) / nearby / adjoining
守
=
宀
+
寸
:
Sherlock Holmes just graduated from police school and stands guard in the outhouse. Still wearing his graduation cap and carrying a huge shield, he's protecting the outhouse's art. The visitors are a bit afraid of him, so he thumbs up to show them that there's no danger from him.
tree trunk / stump (tree root) / a plant / classifier for trees or plants / strain (biology) / to involve others (in shady business)
株
=
木
+
朱
:
Julian Giant Squid (zhu) wants to look after his Christmas tree (木) in front of the space station (Ø1), but he finds that it has been infected by a flock of vermilion flycatchers (朱) and only the stump (株) remained.
cause / reason / karma / fate / predestined affinity / margin / hem / edge / along
缘
=
彖
+
纟
:
Yu the Great (yu) is foreseeing the silkworm's (纟) future in the anthill's kitchen (an2) using the Book of Changes (彖). The book says that the silk worm has great karma (缘) and will lead a long and fulfilled life.
tree / wood / coffin / wooden / simple / numb / one of the eight categories of ancient musical instruments 八音[ba1 yin1]
木
=
八
+
十
:
Mnemonic symbol: a Christmas tree. Malte Monkey is putting up a Christmas tree (木) in the bathroom of the space station (Ø4). He's using a cross (十) as a base to put the tree on, and decorates the tree with eight-balls (八).