粥

yù = yu + Ø4

see 葷粥|荤粥[Xun1 yu4]

congee / gruel / porridge / CL:碗[wan3]

粥 = 弜 + 米 : James II of England (zh) is making rice gruel (粥) by having his army shooting arrows at a sack of rice (米) in front of the outhouse (ou1) using many composite bows (弜).

粥 character breakdown

粥
- 弓
- 米
  - 丷
  - 木
    - 八
      - 丿
      - ㇏
    - 十
      - 一
      - 丨
- 弜
  - 弓

弓

go̅ng = gu + (e)ng1

a bow (weapon) / CL:張|张[zhang1] / to bend / to arch (one's back etc)

Mnemonic symbol: this character just looks like a composite bow.

Gitta Giraffe (gu) is shooting arrows with a composite bow (弓) in front of the engine ((e)ng1).

米

mǐ = mi + Ø3

rice / CL:粒[li4] / meter (classifier)

米 = 丷 + 木 : Mnemonic symbol: a sack of rice.

Marilyn Monroe and the mean crocodile celebrate Christmas with a Christmas tree inside of the space station. Coincidentally they got each other the same present: each of them is giving the other one a sack of rice.

弜

Character component without intrinsic meaning