興國

to rise / to flourish / to become popular / to start / to encourage / to get up / (often used in the negative) to permit or allow (dialect) / maybe (dialect)

兴

興

xìng = xi + (e)ng4

feeling or desire to do sth / interest in sth / excitement

兴 = 小 + 一 + 八 : I would say this one looks definitely like a hedgehog, but since there's already a character for hedgehog, let's call this one a sea star.

兴 = 小 + 一 + 八 : Marie Curie found a sea star attached to a big eight ball in the engine's bathroom. As she is a curious and interested scientist, she wants to investigate the sea star, so she pokes it with a flute and tries to tickle it with a daisy.

国

國

guó = gu + o2

surname Guo

国

國

guó = gu + o2

country / nation / state / national / CL:個|个[ge4]

国 = 囗 + 玉 : Mnemonic symbol: a nation's flag. Let's say the Chinese flag.

In the observatory's kitchen (o2) Gitta Giraffe (gu) is practising her ballet performance. She got a whole crate (囗) full of jade bracelets (玉) and flags (国) and fixed one flag to each jade bracelet. This makes a perfect combination for throwing the ring with the flag waving behind it and catching the ring again after a few pirouettes.