Help Wanted: Child Goddess

Tired of your preschooler just laying around the house all day doing nothing? There might be a job for her in Nepal:

If you are female, possess “the voice of a duck” and are between 2 and 4 years old, it could be just the job for you - Nepal is advertising for a new living goddess.

Despite being revered as a powerful Hindu divinity, the Himalayan state's Royal Kumari has no option but to step down once she reaches puberty. Because Preeti Shakya, the current holder of the centuries-old role, has reached her 11th birthday, the race is on to find a replacement before the end of the summer. ...

The job criteria are rigorous: Kumaris, who are typically selected as toddlers, must have a voice “as soft and clear as a duck's”, “the body of a Banyan tree” and “the chest of a lion”. The 32 prerequisite physical “perfections” also include flawless skin, hair, eyes and teeth. A suitable horoscope is mandatory and being afraid of the dark is not allowed.

There are perks: a Kumari can eat whatever she likes and act with impunity — at least her parents, who receive a small cash stipend, are not allowed to tell her off. For 240 years, before the abolition of Nepal's monarchy in May after a Maoist uprising, the Royal Kumari was asked to approve the rule of the king.

If it talks like a duck....