E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Running Water.
No enchantment can subsist in a living stream; if, therefore, a person can interpose a brook betwixt himself and the witches, sprites, or goblins chasing him, he is in perfect safety. Burns’ tale of Tam o’Shanter turns upon this superstition.
