小暑 Xiaoshu (Slight Heat / Minor heat) Xiaoshu is hot, but not the hottest yet. Usually it’s between 7/7-7/8. In 2017 it’ll be 7/7. First pentad: The hot air comes. Second pentad: Cricket hide into the wall for cooler air. Last pentad: The eagles fly high to avoid the heat emitted from the ground. Anyways it’s HOT! I have no interest in drawing the animals mentioned in the pentad, so I go back to the animal list I want to draw. Because the Minor Cold and Major Cold as birds, I think it’ll be nice to have another minor and major pair the same animals. I think of snake, because the fierce heat deserves a fierce animal, and they need to take sunbath. To make the difference, I have to draw the minor heat “cuter” and the major one more “violent.” Therefore I got a rather static Xiaoshu snake. (It’s weird to give a papaya shape to a snake..) The fruit I chose is papaya! I used color of it, and papaya seeds as pattern over her body. And also the shape of her neck.