to throw oneself at / to pounce on / to devote one's energies / to flap / to flutter / to dab / to pat / to bend over
扑
=
卜
+
扌
:
Petra penguin (p-) flaps about outside the space station's entrance (Ø1) in an attempt to throw herself at the bone with feather attached (卜). However, Penelope poodle (-u1 sound) is quicker to the prize and pounces on the bone first using her toy claw (扌). It's hard to imagine why someone would devote one's energies (扑) towards such fruitless activities. Who could forecast (卜) what would happen next?
(bound form) to divine / to forecast or estimate / (of a place to live etc) to choose
卜
=
丨
+
丶
:
Mnemonic symbol from "to divine" and the shape of the character: a voodoo staff.
Bruno Bear (bu-) tries to divine (卜) the future in the space station's living room (Ø3). He places a petal (丶) in the middle of the room as an offering and starts a magic ritual with his voodoo staff (卜). The staff transforms the petal into a dinosaur bone (丨). Bruno divines that the staff was trying to tell him that all things are mortal and must come to an end.