The cucumber is regarded as a fleet-footed horse to come back home quickly from the other world, and the eggplant as a leaden-footed cow to go back from this world to the other as slowly as possible, and also to carry offerings back to the other world, which is how they hope respectively.
きゅうりは足の速い馬に見立てられ、あの世から早く家に戻ってくるように、また、ナスは歩みの遅い牛に見立てられ、この世からあの世に帰るのが少しでも遅くなるように、また、供物を牛に乗せてあの世へ持ち帰ってもらうとの願いがそれぞれ込められている。