The Petrified Villagers are NPC characters introduced in Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX. Found all throughout the game, these villagers were cursed by Janken the Great and turned into stone. Despite being petrified the player can interact with them, since they're still able to talk. They tell Alex Kidd about Janken and his plans.
One petrified villager in the Village of Namui owns a dog which keeps on his side, the player can pet it to obtain a collectible.