再

zài = z + ai4

again; once more; re- / second; another / then (after sth, and not until then) / no matter how ... (followed by an adjective or verb, and then (usually) 也[ye3] or 都[dou1] for emphasis)

再 = 一 + 冉 : Zorro finally received the flute he was waiting for so long in the airplane's bathroom. He is so moved that he cries 再见 again and again and waves the mail snail goodbye with a handkerchief.

再 character breakdown

再
- 一
- 冉
  - 冂
    - 丨
    - ㇆
      - 一
      - 亅
  - 土
    - 一
    - 十
      - 一
      - 丨
  - ⺆
    - 丿
    - ㇆
      - 一
      - 亅

一

yi̅ = y + Ø1

one / single / a (article) / as soon as / entire; whole; all; throughout / "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1) / also pr. [yao1] for greater clarity when spelling out numbers digit by digit

Maud Younger (y) forgot her keys to the space station (Ø1), all she brought outside was her flute (一). She has no choice but to crash the door with the giant flute.

冉

冄

rǎn = r + an3

variant of 冉[ran3]

冉

rǎn = r + an3

edge of a tortoiseshell / see 冉冉[ran3 ran3]

冉 = ⺆ + 土 : 冉冉 means "soft" as well as "gradually", so I'll represent 冉 by snail mail.

冉 = ⺆ + 土 : Robinson Crusoe drank too much in the anthill, so he's unable to receive the letter of dirt that he gets by snail mail. The snail wants to deliver it anyway, so she just staples it to the table next to Robinson.