Meanwhile Shah Khatoun went in to the king’s son and conceived by him and bore a son, as he were the resplendent moon.  When Belehwan saw this that had betided his brother, jealousy and envy overcame him; so he went in one night to his father’s house and coming to his brother’s lodging, saw the nurse sleeping at the chamber-door, with the cradle before her and therein his brother’s child asleep.  Belehwan stood by him and fell to looking upon his face, the radiance whereof was as that of the moon, and Satan insinuated himself into his heart, so that he bethought himself and said, ’Why is not this child mine?  Indeed, I am worthier of him than my brother, [yea], and of the damsel and the kingship.’  Then envy got the better of him and anger spurred him, so that he took out a knife and setting it to the child’s gullet, cut his throat and would have severed his windpipe.

So he left him for dead and entering his brother’s chamber, saw him asleep, with the damsel by his side, and thought to slay her, but said in himself, ‘I will leave the damsel for myself.’  Then he went up to his brother and cutting his throat, severed his head from his body, after which he left him and went away.  Therewithal the world was straitened upon him and his life was a light matter to him and he sought his father Suleiman Shah’s lodging, that he might slay him, but could not win to him.  So he went forth from the palace and hid himself in the city till the morrow, when he repaired to one of his father’s strengths and fortified himself therein.

Meanwhile, the nurse awoke, that she might give the child suck, and seeing the bed running with blood, cried out; whereupon the sleepers and the king awoke and making for the place, found the child with his throat cut and the cradle running over with blood and his father slain and dead in his sleeping chamber.  So they examined the child and found life in him and his windpipe whole and sewed up the place of the wound.  Then the king sought his son Belehwan, but found him not and saw that he had fled; whereby he knew that it was he who had done this deed, and this was grievous to the king and to the people of his realm and to the lady Shah Katoun.  So the king laid out his son Melik Shah and buried him and made him a mighty funeral and they mourned passing sore; after which he addressed himself to the rearing of the infant

As for Belehwan, when he fled and fortified himself, his power waxed amain and there remained for him but to make war upon his father, who had cast his affection upon the child and used to rear him on his knees and supplicate God the Most High that he might live, so he might commit the commandment to him.  When he came to five years of age, the king mounted him on horseback and the people of the city rejoiced in him and invoked on him length of life, so he might take his father’s leavings[FN#130] and [heal] the heart of his grandfather.