The Torment of Tantalus
Confined to the underworld for attempting to deceive the gods, Tantalus reaches above his head to a branch that bares fruit though he cannot successfully pluck the food from the bough to sate his hunger. Water rises to his neck, but he is unable to drink to quench his thirst.
Mark Beré Peterson: The Haunted South - Hauntings, Urban Legends, History, Folklore and Southern Witchcraft 