垂暮之年

垂 = 壬 + 工 + 工 : The cat o' nine tails (壬) has been chasing Chantal Chicken (chu) all around the Eiffel Tower. In the kitchen (ei2) there is a weeping willow (垂, 垂柳) on which Chantal Chicken sits. Next to the willow, the cat o' nine tails is approaching. Both of them are holding a steel beam (工) in their hands to use as sword in their final encounter.

之 = 丶 + Z : Mnemonic symbol: Sooo sleepy... "zZz" (the character looks like a "Z"). James II of England (zh) fell asleep in front of the space station (Ø1). He sleeps on a big petal leaf (丶), making loud "zZz" (之) sounds.

年 = 午 + 丨 + 一 : Nefertiti (ni) is having lunch (午) in the anthill's kitchen (an2). Unfortunately they didn't have any cutlery left so she has to use a dinosaur bone (丨) and a flute (一) instead of fork and knife. It will take her a whole year (年) to finish her lunch this way.