The word "arroyo" is employed in literature both to evoke natural imagery and to serve as a vehicle for metaphorical meaning. In the proverbs compiled in "A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs," the term is used in cautionary expressions—first as a place into which one might inadvertently fall while fleeing danger [1], and then as an undesirable alternative to emerging from a difficult situation [2]. In contrast, Benito Pérez Galdós’s use of "arroyo" in Doña Perfecta is more descriptive and literal, referring to a small brook that contributes to the setting's atmospheric and regional character [3]. Together, these examples illustrate the word's versatility as both a natural feature and a symbol for unexpected pitfalls or transitions in life.