From the SMB Manual:
So... yeah. I guess it's people. But that's the American one. Could be stupid useless text, honestly.
One day the kingdom of the peaceful mushroom people was invaded by the
Koopa, a tribe of turtles famous for their black magic. The quiet, peace-loving
Mushroom People were turned into mere stones, bricks and even field horse-
hair plants, and the Mushroom Kingdom fell into ruin.
So... yeah. I guess it's people. But that's the American one. Could be stupid useless text, honestly.