1. If the narration were in the present tense, would it go like this (in relevant parts):

Sie versprechen, falls sie selbst Arbeit bekommen sollen, ihm eine Lehrlingsstelle zu verschaffen.

2. If Delemarche and Robinson were speaking to Karl, would it go:

Wir versprechen, falls wir selbst Arbeit bekommen sollen, Ihnen (dir) eine Lehrlingsstelle zu verschaffen.

3. (For question 3, I will assume that the answers to 1 and 2 are both yes.) What is the meaning of sollen in the three sentences (including the original)? If possible please also provide some sentences using the word in the same sense.

4. Would this be actually wrong, bad or not as good as the version with sollen in it or have a different meaning:

Wir versprechen, falls wir selbst Arbeit bekommen, Ihnen (dir) eine Lehrlingsstelle zu verschaffen.

5. If the answer to 1 or 2 is no, then that would mean sollen was not part of the original speech to Karl, but somehow got into the narration as part of narration or shifting of tenses. In this case, please explain at what stage sollen goes into the narration and what is its meaning.

1. If the narration were in the present tense, would it go like this (in relevant parts):

   Sie versprechen, falls sie selbst Arbeit bekommen sollen, ihm eine Lehrlingsstelle zu verschaffen.

2. If Delemarche and Robinson were speaking to Karl, would it go:

   Wir versprechen, falls wir selbst Arbeit bekommen sollen, Ihnen (dir) eine Lehrlingsstelle zu verschaffen.

3. (For question 3, I will assume that the answers to 1 and 2 are both yes.) What is the meaning of sollen in the three sentences (including the original)? If possible please also provide some sentences using the word in the same sense.

4. Would this be actually wrong, bad or not as good as the version with sollen in it or have a different meaning:

   Wir versprechen, falls wir selbst Arbeit bekommen, Ihnen (dir) eine Lehrlingsstelle zu verschaffen.

5. If the answer to 1 or 2 is no, then that would mean sollen was not part of the original speech to Karl, but somehow got into the narration as part of narration or shifting of tenses. In this case, please explain at what stage sollen goes into the narration and what is its meaning.

This post is on sollte as found in this excerpt from from chapter 'Weg nach Ramses' of Amerika (Der Verschollene) by Frankz Kafka.

Sie [Delamarche und Robinson] hatten die Absicht, in das zwei Tagereisen von New York entfernte Städtchen Butterford zu marschieren, wo angeblich Arbeitsstellen frei waren. Sie hatten nichts dagegen, daß Karl mitkomme, und versprachen ihm erstens, zeitweilig seinen Koffer zu tragen, und zweitens, falls sie selbst Arbeit bekommen sollten, ihm eine Lehrlingsstelle zu verschaffen, was, wenn nur überhaupt Arbeit vorhanden sei, eine Leichtigkeit wäre.

QUESTION

1. If the narration were in the present tense, would it go like this (in relevant parts):

Sie versprechen, falls sie selbst Arbeit bekommen sollen, ihm eine Lehrlingsstelle zu verschaffen.

2. If Delemarche and Robinson were speaking to Karl, would it go:

Wir versprechen, falls wir selbst Arbeit bekommen sollen, Ihnen (dir) eine Lehrlingsstelle zu verschaffen.

3. For question 3, I will assume that the answers to 1 and 2 are both yes. What is the meaning of sollen in the three sentences (including the original)?

4. Would this be actually wrong, bad or not as good as the version with sollen in it or have a different meaning:

Wir versprechen, falls wir selbst Arbeit bekommen, Ihnen (dir) eine Lehrlingsstelle zu verschaffen.

5. If the answer to 1 or 2 is no, then that would mean sollen was not part of the original speech to Karl, but somehow got into the narration as part of narration or shifting of tenses. In this case, please explain at what stage sollen goes into the narration and what is its meaning.

BACKGROUND

For question 3, my difficult is this. I understand that sollen has a range of meanings from obligation to expectation. See items 1 through 7 in the "sollen" section of this Dartmouth University post. But the quoted promise seems to connect two (straightforward) events: The two men's finding a job for themselves and finding an apprenticeship for Karl. In other words, they seem to be saying, "When we find a job we'll get a place for you too." Not, "when are expected or obligated to find a job. . . ." Nor does item 8 of the Dartmouth list, "further development," seems to fit our case.

This post is on sollte as found in this excerpt from from chapter 'Weg nach Ramses' of Amerika (Der Verschollene) by Frankz Kafka.

Sie [Delamarche und Robinson] hatten die Absicht, in das zwei Tagereisen von New York entfernte Städtchen Butterford zu marschieren, wo angeblich Arbeitsstellen frei waren. Sie hatten nichts dagegen, daß Karl mitkomme, und versprachen ihm erstens, zeitweilig seinen Koffer zu tragen, und zweitens, falls sie selbst Arbeit bekommen sollten, ihm eine Lehrlingsstelle zu verschaffen, was, wenn nur überhaupt Arbeit vorhanden sei, eine Leichtigkeit wäre.

QUESTION

1. If the narration were in the present tense, would it go like this (in relevant parts):

Sie versprechen, falls sie selbst Arbeit bekommen sollen, ihm eine Lehrlingsstelle zu verschaffen.

2. If Delemarche and Robinson were speaking to Karl, would it go:

Wir versprechen, falls wir selbst Arbeit bekommen sollen, Ihnen (dir) eine Lehrlingsstelle zu verschaffen.

3. (For question 3, I will assume that the answers to 1 and 2 are both yes.) What is the meaning of sollen in the three sentences (including the original)? If possible please also provide some sentences using the word in the same sense.

4. Would this be actually wrong, bad or not as good as the version with sollen in it or have a different meaning:

Wir versprechen, falls wir selbst Arbeit bekommen, Ihnen (dir) eine Lehrlingsstelle zu verschaffen.

5. If the answer to 1 or 2 is no, then that would mean sollen was not part of the original speech to Karl, but somehow got into the narration as part of narration or shifting of tenses. In this case, please explain at what stage sollen goes into the narration and what is its meaning.

BACKGROUND

For question 3, my difficult is this. I understand that sollen has a range of meanings from obligation to expectation. See items 1 through 7 in the "sollen" section of this Dartmouth University post. But the quoted promise seems to connect two (straightforward) events: The two men's finding a job for themselves and finding an apprenticeship for Karl. In other words, they seem to be saying, "When we find a job we'll get a place for you too." Not, "When we are expected or obligated to. . . ." Nor does item 8 of the Dartmouth list, "further development," seems to fit our case.