Complex sentence: The villagers look up into the sky, evidently startled by something above, and when the small girl shifts her telescope upwards she sees an enormous metallic airship, filthy and ominous looking with big propellers.
Split into simpler sentences: The villagers look up into the sky, evidently startled by something above. The small girl shifts her telescope upwards and sees an enormous metallic airship, filthy and ominous, with big propellers.