Neither ‘Asim ibn Safwan, the elderly king of Egypt, or his vizier Faris ibn Salih have any sons. They hear of King Solomon, who controls the djinn and all living creatures, and the vizier goes to him for advice. Solomon's instructions are to kill two certain snakes and feed the meet to their wives, who will then each bear a son. The king's son is named Sayf al'Muluk, and the vizier's son is Sa'id. The royal astronomers predict many hardships for both. Solomon had given their fathers some gifts, including a pair of tunics for the two young men. Sayf al'Muluk finds a portrait of a woman embroidered on one, labeled Badi'at al-Jamal, daughter of the jinn king Shahyal ibn Sharukh, son of ‘Ad the Great, ruler over the city of Babel and the garden of Iram. Sayf al-Muluk falls in love immediately