<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <script> function boom() { var zz = document.getElementById("d").childNodes[0]; zz.parentNode.removeChild(zz); var r = document.createRange(); r.setStart(zz, 0); r.setEnd(zz, 0); try { r.insertNode(document.createTextNode('5')); } catch (e) { } } </script> </head> <body onload="boom()"> <div id="d">3</div> </body> </html>